Silver Wolf: betrayal and treason
by ShiiroiKitsune21
Summary: The Sandaime took Minato's place in the Kyuubi's sealing, thus the Yondaime kept ruling Konoha. But the darkness kept lurking underneath the village and Kakashi is unfairly accused of five murders… Can the Hokage bring justice when his betrayed student abandons Konoha? Nukenin!Kakashi and Alive!Minato with Evil!Danzo. Rating may change, who knows?
1. Chapter 1

**HAPPY EARLY NEW YEAR! :D **

**I decided to write this. There aren't many explanations. Some ideas pop inside my head and I have to keep track of them. **

**Their reactions may be too OOC, but I needed something. Enjoy and review!**

**Don't own Naruto. I don't even look like Kishimoto.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Betrayal**

Minato Namikaze bit his lip. It couldn't be. It just… _couldn't_. But all the evidences pointed to the only person he never thought would do something like this.

His last living student, Hatake Kakashi.

The ANBUs he assigned to investigate found strands of silver hair on the ground next to three corpses. The other two had some lingering chakra that could be only Kakashi's. They were three jonins, a chuunin and a retired shinobi and the only things they had in common was their hate for the Hatake. The five ninjas still thought that the Third Shinobi War continued because of Sakumo and, when Kakashi was younger, they scorned the little chuunin.

Was it possible that Kakashi (now ANBU captain with a flawless record) planned their deaths after all these years?

But he remembered what happened to Hiruzen when the old man held tightly on the hope that Orochimaru could be changed. Minato remembered the Sandaime's horrified expression when the Snake Sannin was caught experimenting on little kids. And how much he suffered when Orochimaru was declared a nukenin.

_'__But Kakashi isn't Orochimaru,' _a part of Minato's brain pointed out. Could the Yondaime hope that his student would change for the better?

"Minato, you look terrible," Jiraya stated when he entered the Hokage's office in the evening, "what happened?" The Toad Sage just returned from an extended spying mission and he didn't expect to see his student look like someone died.

(Well, Hiruzen and Kushina did. The Kyuubi's attack was six months ago and Minato was still mourning while taking care of his newborn son)

The blonde took a deep breath. "This evening, the ANBU found Kakashi guilty of five murders. All the clues are plausible and the reason would be revenge. They scorned him because of Sakumo, so he took their lives." Jiraya had every reason to exclaim "WHAT?"

It was impossible that someone could keep grudges for ten years! But when Kakashi had ever been normal? The prodigy could do almost anything for all they knew. And they were some of the people who knew him better…

Minato looked up worriedly. "What should I do, sensei? Do you think… Kakashi really did it?"

* * *

Kakashi was strolling towards his apartment when he saw his sensei heading towards him. "Hello, Min-" the words never left his lips. Minato grabbed him and disappeared in a blur of colour.

* * *

The sixteen-years-old stumbled a bit (who would suspect a random teleport?) in the Hokage's office before someone caught his arms and hit behind his right knee, making him fall. Kakashi's wrists were tightly grasped and held behind him.

He glanced up at Minato. "Sensei! What are you doing?" he frantically asked. What was this all about?! The blonde looked too somber for Kakashi's liking. "Did you kill these five shinobis?" the Hokage questioned, tossing five photos in front of his student.

"I didn't, Minato-sensei. Why do you ask me?" the Hatake was getting really worried now. He didn't even see these people since he was eight! "Would you have killed them if you could?" the blonde asked again. "I don't kill comrades, even if they deserve to," he answered truthfully. Why was Minato questioning him? The Hokage frowned and looked over Kakashi. He shook his head.

The grip on the Hatake's wrists tightened and he was suddenly pulled upright, his arms still behind his back. Kakashi caught a glimpse of his 'captor'. "Jiraya-sama!" he exclaimed, "What's going on?!" The Toad Sage looked like one would at a funeral and remained silent.

"I won't do the Sandaime's mistake," Minato whispered, taking out one of his Hiraishin kunai. Kakashi's eye widened. _They were trying to kill him_! Sensei believed he would be like _Orochimaru_! "_Sensei_! Sensei, I'm not Orochimaru!" he desperately screamed, "Believe me! Why would you suspect _that_? I didn't kill those five people! Sensei! Please!"

Meanwhile, Minato was solemnly walking towards Kakashi, kunai still in his hand. He looked at the Hatake's wide onyx eye: it held more emotions and pleads than the silver-haired boy would admit. _Let me go. I didn't do anything. _It continued to plead. Minato winced: he was now sure that this eye was going to plague his nightmares. Still, he couldn't put his love over his duty.

He felt extremely guilty when he noticed that Kakashi was trembling slightly. Slowly, the blonde lowered his student's hitai-ate in a way that it would cover both his eyes. He placed the kunai on the Hatake's neck and was about to slice…

…when he was hit in the abdomen by Kakashi's kick. He had moved his weight towards Jiraya and hit hard in his desperation to break free. He slipped from the Sage's grip with a burst of electricity and shunshined out of the office.

Minato was too shocked to run after him.

* * *

_Betrayal, betrayal, betrayal… _it was Kakashi's only thought as he ran towards his apartment. He moved his hitai-ate on his forhead, exposing both eyes. He noticed he was crying and his sight was blurry. He couldn't believe what happened: why did his _sensei _try to kill him?! He was like a _father_ to him, he took care of him, he fussed every time he got injured…

Tears were flowing freely from his mismatched eyes. '_If I don't have a place in Konoha…' _he packed quickly whatever he would need (supplies and weapons) and everything he could take with him: he took Jiraya's books and almost picked up Minato's Hiraishin kunai before remembering his function and abandoned it on the bed.

He quickly left Konoha's gates, his heart throbbing painfully because of his sensei's betrayal…

* * *

"He ran! He ran!" Minato frantically exclaimed while running in circles inside his office. What possessed him to try to kill his student? Jiraya had burn marks on his hands and was watching helplessly the young blonde. He was so worried that Minato would feel the same pain as Hiruzen that he didn't think Kakashi would escape like that.

All the clues pointed Kakashi as the killer of those five shinobi. And how could someone place fake evidence without anyone noticing? It was impossible with all the ANBUs involved in the investigation. Plus, the Hatake had a reason to do that: all they had on his defense was "he isn't the type who kills for revenge".

Minato ordered too late for the ANBUs to stop the silver-haired captain and they only found dead ends. The night couldn't end worse for the blonde Hokage.

* * *

_The next morning_

Kakashi's closest comrades were all in front of Minato. Which were Gai (who was crying desperately), Asuma, Kurenai (who were stunned), Genma, Raido, Yugao (who were even more shocked that their captain, of all people, abandoned Konoha) and Kitsune the ANBU Commander (who mourned his best ANBU's defection).

All of them kept screaming that Kakashi wouldn't do that, he was their teammate, their friend, their captain and 'hip and cool' eternal rival… Minato had a hard time controlling himself from doing the same and listening to their screaming. After they finished, the Yondaime spoke at the ANBU Commander: "Did your ANBU found anything during the night?" Kitsune shook his head.

"Wolf-taicho is the best tracker that ever stepped in the ANBU Headquarters," Genma whispered, "he won't be found if he doesn't want to." The day before he would have said it with pride, now he was frustrated about his captain's ability to cover his tracks.

"LET ME SEARCH MY ETERNAL RIVAL, HOKAGE-SAMA!" Gai cried out, "I'LL FIND HIM AND HE'LL RETURN…!" "He won't." a cold voice resounded from behind the shinobis.

Danzo stood in all his evilness at the door. "Hatake Kakashi killed five Konoha ninjas (that alone is punishable by death) and defected from the village. He will be declared a nukenin." Everyone in the room was looking at Danzo with different degrees of hate, but they couldn't deny what he said. Minato lowered his head. All the people who knew Kakashi only as 'Sakumo's son' and 'ANBU' kept repeating the same things. They saw only a shinobi who defected.

Not the hard work he did to leave his father's shadow.

Not the boy who changed through the war.

Not the captain he grew up to be.

Not the socially stunted but extremely loyal friend he was.

Jiraya told him that Sakumo's feelings are similar to Kakashi's: their way to deal with grief and guilt, their façade, their unwavering loyalty… the Toad Sage said that the latter could lead to disastrous decisions if it was denied and the two Hatakes were betrayed.

Sakumo committed suicide because the village he spent his life protecting scorned him. Kakashi abandoned Konoha because Minato and Jiraya betrayed his trust.

* * *

Danzo smirked to himself. He finally kicked out that troublesome Hatake! His ROOT shinobis managed to drop some fake clues on the corpses and Kakashi was found guilty. His neural poison did its work perfectly: Minato and whoever entered the office became more paranoid for the time being. The Yondaime almost killed the Hatake (Danzo wasn't even concerned that the brat was still alive!), the ANBU captain left Konoha and wouldn't be returning anymore (or for a really long time – he could still lose his mind).

Danzo felt like laughing evilly. Soon the Godaime's position would be all _his_.

* * *

Kakashi kept running south until he couldn't move and his legs were numb.

It was morning and he found himself in a clearing inside the woods. Every time he thought about his impromptu defection he felt his heart sunk: he has been betrayed. _Betrayed_ by the people he trusted the most. He was basically alone now.

No. He still had his loyal pack of ninken. He nodded to himself and summoned his dogs.

"Yo, Kakashi. What's up?" Pakkun asked when the smoke cleared. The eight ninken looked around and noted the (mostly sealed) supplies on the ground near them. "Really, why are you here with all this stuff?" "Sensei tried to kill me," he whispered.

The pack was still. Did they hear that right? Kakashi's sensei attempted to _kill him_? That ever-cheerful blonde _Namikaze Minato_? _He?!_

"…Boss, are you sure?" normally, Pakkun wouldn't question the pack leader, but this was just too farfetched and unlikely. Kakashi numbly nodded and sat on the grass.

Bull whined and licked his masked face. The other dogs looked at each other worriedly and settled protectively around their pack leader. Pakkun sat on his lap and the Hatake started patting his head.

They would always be there for him. _Always._

* * *

_Rank: A_

_Village: Konohagakure no Sato. _

_Name: Hatake Kakashi_

_Kekkai Genkai: Sharingan _

_Specializations: Assassination and Tracking_

_Skills: advanced Ninjutsu, above average Genjutsu and Taijutsu_

_Status: _

The jonin paused. He read again. What the hell? He tried to dispel a genjutsu. No, he read that right. He continued typing the page for the Bingo Book.

_Status: Nukenin_

* * *

**A/N: I just wanted to write this. Duh.**

**Maybe Kakashi's reaction and Minato's decision is a bit OOC, but I needed something to make poor Kakashi defect. **

**And yes, I made Orochimaru's betrayal before the Kyuubi's attack. But Danzo still has Tenzo. This is an AU World where Kakashi will try to survive as a nukenin. And this time Naruto is alive! Weeee!**

**Write me if you want more of these adventures… **

**Beware of the Kitsune's rage!**

**-Shiiroi Kitsune21**


	2. Chapter 2

**Your youthful praises warm my heart! *hugs everyone who reviewed***

**Thanks to Yangsun, Prescripto13, Vienna09 and Guest for their reviews! You can't imagine how happy your praises make me feel! :3 **

**This is the starting chapter for Kakashi's nukenin adventures! YAY! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 2: New life**

Kakashi admitted he had no idea about what he should do now. If he returned to Konoha, the shinobis might try to kill him on sight, so it wasn't an option. But here, outside, he didn't have a _home_. _Comrades_ to fight with. _Missions. _When he sprinted through Konoha's gates he pretty much denied himself all that.

But it didn't mean he would seek revenge against the whole village. Now that he could think more clearly, Kakashi decided his objective: discover what drove Minato-sensei to attempt to kill him. Whoever caused this, he would make sure he suffered the most agonizing pain he ever had the displeasure to feel. Multiple times. (Somewhere in Hell, a devil laughed gleefully)

For now, though, Kakashi decided to wander and discover what he could do.

* * *

Genma was not happy.

Danzo already published the new Konoha's Bingo Book. He marked Kakashi (their _Wolf-taicho_, dammit!) as an A-ranked nukenin. Team Ro was now targeted with questions about what they knew from all the ANBU squads inside the Head Quarters.

Some ANBUs even waited for them on their homes' doors! It was driving Genma insane! Sometimes he even heard some venomous whispers about Kakashi and how he betrayed them (how dared they? Wolf-taicho fought head-on _Death_ every day, for them!).

And Danzo seemed a little too gleeful for someone whose village lost a powerful shinobi. It was all pretty suspicious, but Genma couldn't say, "he's guilty because he's an asshole who wouldn't stop at anything to order everyone around and I have a strange feeling." But standing there while all the others scorned Kakashi was almost impossible for Genma. He couldn't even snap at them to shut their mouths!

* * *

Shark of Kiri's Hounin Unit paused. He looked sharply at Seagull and asked with all the calm he could master, "Are you _sure_ this information is true?"

Seagull seemed to shrink a little when she answered, "I-I am. It looks that Konoha's Bingo Book has been updated recently…" Shark accepted the response and kept studying the book. Who could have known the _Hatake_ would abandon Konoha?

Well, Shark wasn't about to let _anyone_ take the bounty placed on the new-nukenin's head.

"I'm requesting the Mizukage the permission to hunt him down," the Hounin muttered, heading towards his Kage's office.

* * *

Kakashi arrived in a civilian village on the southern coast of Hi no Kuni. He decided to stop there and start his self-imposed mission of discovering what nukenins usually do.

The Hatake tried to remember the times he joined the Hounin squads and tracked down some missing-nins: they often were roaming in the woods near civilian villages when the ANBU attacked. There was a time when Kakashi killed a nukenin while someone was requesting his services…

He tilted his head. He probably had to go someplace where they would ask for his help, then. Like accepting and completing missions, only that his 'client' wasn't the Hokage. Kakashi felt a pang of pain: his sensei's betrayal was still too fresh in his mind and his heart throbbed at the thought.

The newly-declared nukenin ordered lunch in a little restaurant inside the village. He noted that he still wore the ANBU-esque attire he usually used while off-duty. He stuck out like a sore thumb, expecially with his gravity-defying silver hair. He sighed: so much for not attracting the Hounins.

While he ate, though, he heard some civilians whisper between them and Kakashi decided to eavesdrop.

"Suzumi's kid disappeared, too?" a man asked worriedly. "Nobody knows who is kidnapping our children… everything we do is useless!" a clearly terrified woman whispered, "But we can't afford to ask a Hidden Village for help… and the kids continue to disappear!" she broke down crying.

"He's the fourth one they (or whoever is behind this) took away…" the man's voice trembled a little, "how can we keep safe our sons and daughters if we can't stop _this_ from happening?"

…Kakashi decided to help this little village. He doubted they would trust a sixteen-years-old masked Konoha shinobi, but if he wanted to be requested for missions as a nukenin… he needed to made himself known to his potential 'clients'. Maybe someone could give him directions and advices, who knew?

* * *

Kakashi underestimated the villagers' desperation. When he offered his help, they immediately told him all the information they found about this 'mysterious child-kidnapper threat' and led him to the four 'crime scenes' where their kids were taken.

The abductions started out of the blue about two months ago with a five-years-old girl. She basically disappeared from her futon and no one had a clue about the kidnapper's identity. A week and a half later, a little boy was taken away as well; this time, a bystander swore he saw a strange shadow on the house's roof (most of the village said he was a crazy old man, but why dismiss his claim?).

At the beginning of the following month, another four-years-old girl was abducted; her three siblings didn't hear or see anything, even if they were in the same room. The last kidnapping happened two nights ago: the little kid was eight years old and he evidently tried to struggle, if the mess inside his room was any clue.

Kakashi analyzed the bedroom: it was small but comfortable, with a futon, a chair, a little table and a chest with some toys. The walls were bare and the window seemed undisturbed. On the wooden floor there weren't any imprints, but the chair was broken and the blanket was on the opposite wall of the futon, like it was thrown away. Kakashi smelled two strong scents (probably the kid's and the mother's) and another definitely fainter one. He summoned Pakkun (much to the villagers' disbelief) and the ninken sniffed the floor.

He moved around the room and sniffed the window before nodding and announcing that a man entered through the window, took the kid and left, while Kakashi sensed the lingering chakra of a chuunin-level shinobi (that really shouldn't be there because all the villagers were civilians).

The trail was weak, but it was pretty simple for ninjas like Kakashi (and ninken like Pakkun) who worked in the tracking division for two years. The mysterious kidnapper obviously didn't bother too much to cover his tracks: who could have known Konoha's best tracker would be involved?

* * *

Kakashi arrived in front of a cave. A _very_ _poorly hidden_ cave, in his opinion.

He felt four unknown chakra signatures (three definitely shinobi's and one was fainter) and decided to sneak inside after dismissing Pakkun. Caves weren't his favourite places: they still reminded Kakashi of Obito's death and the Sharingan throbbed every time he had to infiltrate in one.

Kakashi blended in the cave's shadows and suppressed his chakra to spy on the three shinobis.

"Are you sure?" a black-haired man asked.

"Yeah. I heard that a really skilled ninja has gone rouge recently. From Konoha, I think," a woman answered.

"Well, let's hope he or she doesn't interfere with our plans," a brown-haired man stated.

Kakashi stilled and focused his hearing.

"Still, what does He do with the kids we take?" the woman spoke up.

The first man shrugged. "He pays us. Whatever He does with them isn't our business".

"That asshole doesn't even show his face, do you think He'll tell us?" the other man snorted. So it seemed that Kakashi couldn't find this unknown client. The other three kids were most probably dead.

The woman huffed and answered, "I'm curious, that's all. And I think it's weird the villagers didn't call anyone to help them after two months."

There was a muffled whimper in a corner of the cave. The woman smiled creepily and attempted to talk sweetly, "Our little bundle of sunshine is restless again? Poor little thing… he must miss his mama."

The eight-years-old boy whimpered again and cried.

Kakashi heard enough and decided to take them out. The new nukenin silently took a kunai and knocked unconscious the woman (who was near the boy) and one of the men before the other assumed a battle stance. The black-haired shinobi was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Y-you…!" his words seemed to die in his throat. He clearly recognized Kakashi and was almost shaking in fright. The ex-ANBU grinned creepily and walked toward the panicking man (and he considered himself a chuunin-level ninja?).

"So you handed poor little kids to evil psychopaths because you needed money?" he asked oh-so-sweetly. The man numbly nodded and shook more when Kakashi's Killing Intent spiked. "_You're a sorry excuse of a shinobi,_" the Hatake growled and, with lightning speed, he knocked out cold the black-haired man.

He created a Kage Bunshin to tie the three ninjas and he neared the little boy. He seemed to shrink and try to scream in distress, so Kakashi smiled and whispered soothing nothingness to calm the kid. The ex-ANBU kept repeating that all would be OK, the bad guys wouldn't return anymore, he was safe and his mum was waiting for him in the village; after a while, it seemed to work.

Kakashi untied the boy and helped him climb on his back, tree-hopping towards the town (much to the kid's amazement).

* * *

The civilians cheered loudly when Kakashi returned with the child and the three ninjas. He dropped the culprits to suffer the villagers' anger (as they deserved after abducting little kids and giving them to an unknown man). He already saw their hitai-ate that labeled them as Iwa-nins; none were in his Bingo Book, so he thought they were low-ranked or something.

Suzumi was crying in happiness and thanked him more times than it was necessary. Really, it was a pretty simple mission compared to others he took… plus, the woman was making him feel uncomfortable with all her gratitude. As an ANBU, he never received a lot of thanks for completing his tasks, and most of the times they were from his own comrades when he saved them.

He saw some villagers speaking animatedly to themselves about him, and Kakashi smiled.

It wasn't so bad helping people.

* * *

_Some days later_

When Genma walked inside Yukuda town, he didn't expect to be welcomed so warmly. Maybe it was his charm or his luck, who knew?

All the people inside the town looked at his hitai-ate and then smiled widely at him. But he was pretty sure that no one from Konoha stepped inside Yukuda, and expecially not shinobis with the leaf hitai-ate plainly displayed on their forehead.

When he asked to someone if they saw others with his headband, the woman giggled and answered: "Yes, ninja-san! Some days ago a shinobi with that symbol arrived here and saved my sister's kid!"

"How was he like? And where is he?" Genma asked curiously.

"Well… it's difficult to forget his gravity-defying silver hair…" the woman answered.

Genma choked on his own drink_. Kakashi was there_?

"…but after we thanked him and paid him (not nearly enough for his help, in Suzumi's opinion) he left the village. I think his name was Kakashi something… Ninja-san? Are you OK?" the woman didn't know why the shinobi in front of her was gaping.

Really, did she say something shocking? Didn't the ninjas in the same village know where the others were?

* * *

Kakashi decided to head east.

He followed the coastline towards Mizu no Kuni: he wasn't going to enter inside Kirigakure (he wasn't _that_ crazy), but Kakashi was sure that Minato already sent at least half of the ANBU forces to track him. Every now and then, the silver-haired nukenin flared his chakra to sense stalkers and dangers.

Somewhere on his journey he bought a jacket with a hood (to hide his silver-hair) and a scarf, both as black as a starless night. He kept his normal clothes under them and he was tree-hopping at chuunin speed.

After helping that little town against the kidnappers, he started his information gathering about where he could accept 'missions'. Until his nukenin status was common knowledge, he should offer his help to the people who deserved it (and kill the bastards who didn't): they would know when he was in their villages (and ask for his services), but so would the Hounin.

Kakashi was sure all of the other Elemental Nations were just _itching_ to get their hands on him and the Sharingan. It wouldn't be too long before he had to avoid the Hunter-nins from everywhere.

Speaking of which…

Four chakra signatures started following him. They were pretty fast and definitely ANBU-level shinobis. Not a second later one of the chakras spiked and he heard a shouted, "Suiton: Water Dragon no jutsu!"

Kakashi dashed to his right and deflected the barrage of kunai thrown towards him. Four masked nins appeared around him in a quadrangular formation.

'_Hounins from Kiri,' _he thought, seeing the symbol on their masks. It was just _wonderful_.

Two of them charged with their weapons raised, but they underestimated him. Kakashi took his ANBU sword and immediately gained the upper hand with his speed and the Sharingan (that he exposed when the first ninja attacked).

The other Hounins kept throwing kunais and shurikens, ignoring the possibility of friendly fire.

Kakashi needed just that. He saw four ninja stars heading towards him and the Hatake hit one of the ANBU on the side, making him stumble right on the weapons' path. The Hounin died with the shurikens in his back.

The other found himself one-on-one against the Hatake and Kakashi sliced his throat, immediately jumping back when some earth spears started to appear at his feet.

He let one of them hit his Kage Bunshin and, when the Hounins looked around, he gripped their ankles and shouted "Doton: Head Hunter no jutsu!" They both fell and Kakashi killed them swiftly before they could use Kawarimi.

He searched for a Bingo Book inside their pockets and, when he finally did, he started reading it and analyzing who he could befriend and who he should avoid or kill.

* * *

Kakashi kept tree-hopping until he arrived in another city on the coast; the town was on the border of Hi no Kuni with Mizu no Kuni and it was small. He summoned three of his ninken to keep guard of the room.

Kiri's Bingo Book was pretty interesting: some shinobis were very clearly evil psychopaths with homicidal impulses, others were suspicious and shady and very few were worth meeting.

He skipped the ninjas he already knew from his own Bingo Book (that was sadly out-dated) and started looking for the ones he wanted to meet. The three shinobis he confronted some days ago didn't look friendly towards each other (not like they defected together), so Kakashi thought he had to meet some and propose deals.

He felt shock when he saw his own page – he was already marked as a nukenin. An A-ranked nukenin from Konoha with above average skills and the Sharingan (that wasn't even his own).

Shaking his head to calm down (_he didn't betray his village! It was the other way around!_), he decided to start searching some clients to help and, hopefully, some relatively trustworthy shinobis.

* * *

**A/N: A Chapter! Yahoo! :D**

**Tell me want you think about it and keep reading!**

**Beware of the Kitsune's rage!**

**-Shiiroi Kitsune21**


	3. Chapter 3

**Gomenasai! I… uh… ****I still wrote something! ;) **

**Thanks to Prescpripto13, Vienna09, Guest, Kakakure and The Shifting for the praises! :D**

**"****Blah" is black Zetsu's voice.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Research**

"Repeat again?"

Zetsu frowned and the white half obeyed, "Hatake Kakashi abandoned Konoha a week ago." Why was the Uchiha so surprised? It was pretty common for ninjas to leave their village.

Tobi stared.

_Kakashi defected_? He had to see it with his own eye to believe that. Tobi could understand that people change constantly (hell, he was a perfect example!), but Kakashi's loyalty to Konoha… it was impossible to erase. Not without a _very good_ reason.

"Where is he and what's the situation in the Shinobi Nations?" Tobi asked flatly.

"Kakashi is in Mizu no Kuni," white Zetsu answered, "near the border with Nami no Kuni, avoiding Kirigakure no Sato."

**"****Hi no Kuni's borders are swarming with Konoha ANBU," **the black half supplied, **"and all the other countries sent Hounins to search the Hatake."**

Well… that was expected.

Kakashi was skilled and had the Sharingan (_Tobi's Sharingan_… damn it! What if he discovered the Mangekyo's power?). For a Kage, it was enough to immediately send an army to find, capture or kill the Hatake.

And it was obvious that Minato would search his student, in person or not: if the blonde wasn't Hokage, Tobi was sure that he would be already turning the world upside down with his own hands.

Tobi needed to discover how to erase and gain loyalty as he pleased (it would save _so much_ _time_!); investigating the 'Kakashi case' was a good starting point.

The Uchiha decided to stalk his ex-teammate.

* * *

"Team Falcon."

"Negative. Hatake-san didn't go towards Sunagakure no Sato."

"Team Bird and Team Lynx."

"Negative. Iwa's border is clear."

Minato sighed warily. Where the hell was Kakashi? The Yondaime sent a lot of ANBU squads to track his student, but no one found anything. It was like he disappeared!

"Team Wolf," he called tiredly. It was obvious he involved Kakashi's old team: who was he to stop them? Plus, they were more familiar with him and his methods to cover his tracks.

"Negative," Raido and Yugao answered, defeated.

"Positive," Genma said at the same time.

Everyone stared at him. _Everyone._

Minato motioned him to continue, restraining his need to jump over his desk and shake Genma until he obtained his answer. Someone _finally_ found a lead!

"On Hi no Kuni's south coast," he reported, "Yukuda's citizens confirmed that Kakashi was there." Genma tried to keep his voice blank, "But they didn't know where he went after leaving the town."

The Yondaime frowned. He thought that the ANBU had more information, but at least they had a smaller area to recon.

Minato smiled a little and dared to hope.

'_Kakashi will return,_' the Hokage thought, '_There's so much I need to tell him…_'

* * *

Kakashi wasn't a lucky shinobi.

Currently, he was in a forest on an island. He quickly discovered that Mizu no Kuni's mist was thick even without adding chakra… and Kiri's Hounins were stubborn. A lot.

Kakashi ran into two ANBU teams two days after a pretty rough mission (thus chakra-depleted, a little injured and tired. Really, _really_ tired) that just wouldn't give up. He tried to cover his tracks, but some of them were sensors and it was useless.

The Hatake couldn't allow himself to exhaust his still recovering chakra: there weren't his friends fighting with him, there wasn't _anyone_ ready to help him or heal his injuries.

The nukenin was surrounded by chakra-infused mist, so thick that he couldn't see anything even with the Sharingan; it also messed with his ability to sense the enemies' chakra, but evidently the sensors didn't have nearly as much trouble.

Kakashi had to do something fast: he had to rely on his hearing and smell to dodge and attack, but he couldn't keep this up for long enough to take all the Hounins down.

Before the mist confused his senses, the Hatake managed to kill three Kiri ANBU, but their teammates were completely _unaffected _by their deaths.

They didn't get angry, didn't even _flinch_ when Kakashi stuck their chests with a Chidori. They utterly ignored the three corpses and created the mist, throwing jutsus and weapons at him from the shadows.

Kakashi couldn't allow himself to perform too taxing jutsus, he couldn't waste his weapons, he couldn't summon his ninken: they were too tired from the last mission (in which they had to retrieve an important scroll from a dangerous Kumo nukenin, but _apparently_ the client didn't warn them of his identity as an A-rank shinobi…) and the Hatake couldn't expect them to fight properly.

A water dragon rushed towards him, forcing him to quickly jump away and a barrage of kunai rained on the spot he landed on. The nukenin dodged with a Kawarimi, but his pursuers kept following him.

He inwardly sighed. He would summon his ninken later, when he finished this fight with the Chidori. Kakashi just _knew_ that his reserves would deplete after that, but he didn't have many choices.

* * *

Yumi Kumiko didn't know why there were ANBUs _everywhere_.

She _did_ hear some strange rumors about a Konoha Shinobi gone rouge, but Mizu no Kuni was literally swarming with Hounins! Who was this ninja to have the _whole world_ looking for him?!

_BOOM!_

Kumiko halted and hid immediately. What was that explosion?

She flared a little of her chakra toward that sound and stiffened when she felt a lot of energy coming from that direction. Someone was fighting near her position (and attracting unwanted attention… _great_).

"Four, five… no, six," Kumiko mumbled, "Six chakra signatures," she confirmed.

Well, the kunoichi _did_ need some moneys and supplies… who could blame her for looting some weapons? It wasn't like there was someone to nag at her about that. Kumiko wasn't a little chuunin anymore, she didn't need anyone to remind her of what was right and what wasn't and _most certainly_ no one had any right to order her around.

The Kumo nukenin was _sure_ she was going in deep trouble, but curiosity couldn't kill the cat every damn time, right?

She quietly made her way towards the battleground, moving like a shadow between the trees' branches.

The kunoichi suddenly saw a thick white mist in which the six signatures kept flaring and shrinking, like they were doing some weird game of hide-and-seek-and-kill.

However, she couldn't pinpoint anyone: the sheer amount of chakra in the air continued to mess up with her sensing ability.

Kumiko stilled when she heard a high-pitched screech, sounding like a thousands' birds chirping, coming from inside the mist.

"Suiton: Water Binding no jutsu!" someone yelled.

'_Water Binding_?' Kumiko thought with increasing dread, 'It's a jutsu used only by Kiri's Hounins! There's a _nukenin_ trapped inside the mist!'

There was an unspoken rule between missing-nins to help each other against Hounin Teams; the kunoichi, who defected almost a year ago, knew this very well. In more than one occasion she was assisted and saved by wandering nukenins.

And it looked like whoever was inside the mist needed a little help.

So _of course_ Kumiko joined the fight.

* * *

Now Kakashi was sure that his chakra was _completely_ drained.

Only one of the Hounins was left. He was the ANBU who was keeping up the mist (if only Kakashi killed him before... it would have saved a lot of trouble), and it seemed that he was wind-natured as well.

Kakashi's luck had a strange sense of humor.

He cursed and fell on his knees. Some of his injuries reopened (great…) and the newly added wounds weren't helping in the slightest… all of that coupled with the dizziness of blood loss and chakra depletion. It wouldn't be too bad (he didn't even have broken bones!) if his enemy was dead and there was an ally with him.

The problem was there wasn't anyone of his comrades.

Just _peachy_.

The Hounin seemed to chuckle gleefully (as much as a Kiri ANBU could chuckle) and he raised his bloody sword to _slash_…

…when a brown blur punched the enemy straight on the cheek. Really hard, by the sounds of it. There was a suspicious _crack _when the Hounin crashed against an innocent-looking tree.

Thankfully, the mist lifted and Kakashi could see his savior.

The woman had long straight dark hair and a white headband. She wore a white shirt, two armguards and a pair of black gloves. She had a leather belt on her waist and three scrolls were placed on her right, while the weapon pouch was on her left thigh. She wore black shorts with yellow streaks on each side and a pair of black ninja boots. Kakashi couldn't see her face and her headband.

His sight became blurry and the blood loss hit him like a ton of bricks. He gave up trying to stay awake and fell unconscious.

* * *

Kumiko, well… she didn't expect to see the one and only _Hatake Kakashi_.

He wore something similar to the Konoha ANBU gear under a scarf and a jacket, both black. His hitai-ate was still plainly displayed on his forehead and his hair was just as she remembered…

_Flashback no jutsu_

_Their target was a group of three nukenins who thought that robbing a town near a Hidden Village was a good idea. They clearly didn't expect to be followed after only a day, but they were very skilled at covering their tracks and running._

_Team Eagle of Kumo started hunting them four days ago and two of them still managed to run away, sacrificing the third man when he got a kunai in the knee. They reached the Land of Frost a week later, none of the groups giving up. _

_It was then that they crossed paths with another ANBU Team._

_The two nukenins were still trying to run away, probably seeking repair in Hi no Kuni's lands (what Hounin in their right mind would 'go hunting' in another Great Shinobi Nation without permission?), when four Konoha ANBUs appeared on some branches, effectively trapping the two criminals._

_Tiger, Viper, Parrot and Eagle immediately engaged their targets, deflecting their jutsus and swiftly killing the duo. The Konohan remained still on their branches until one of the Kumo shinobi spoke up._

_"__Who are you?" Eagle-taicho asked blankly. _

_The other squad's members seemed to be Rabbit, Bear, Wolf and Captain Lizard. The first was a female with straight long violet hair, the second had light-brown hair and the leader had short black hair. _

_What made Viper pause, however, was Wolf. He had gravity-defying spiky silver hair and was short. For all she knew, the Konohan could be fourteen or something: however, the way the stood and jumped from his branch… it suggested a level of skill that a kid shouldn't possess. _

_Viper was curious. Who was Wolf? She'll ask her taicho: this wasn't the time to go ahead and start a conversation with the Konoha team. And probably it would never be. _

_Lizard decided to part ways immediately (after confirming that they wouldn't interfere with their missions one way or another) and all his comrades nodded before vanishing. _

_At the end, Viper learned very little about Wolf: he was a boy who fought during the Third Shinobi War and lost all of his teammates. Right now, the fourteen-years-old wasn't too dangerous and no one had much information about him._

_Viper decided to keep an eye out for him while reading Kumo's Bingo Book. She had a feeling that Wolf would appear in her pages rather soon. _

_End Flashback no jutsu_

And she was _right_. However, now was _so_ not the time to visit Memory Lane.

Kumiko, fortunately, was a medic-nin as well and she healed most of Kakashi's injuries. The Kumo kunoichi firmly followed the rule about helping each other between nukenins, giving warnings, help and sometimes even assistance.

She cursed when she checked the Hatake's chakra and blood levels. Both were dangerously low and the skin was turning an alarming shade of white. The superficial injuries weren't too threatening (but that deep gash on the left shoulder wasn't very good-looking…) and most could be disinfected and bandaged immediately. Other wounds needed her healing chakra and some rest (or a lot. It depended).

After performing some first aid, the nukenin decided to carry the Hatake inside her nearest hiding spot. It was going to be a long week before Kakashi would wake up…

* * *

Tobi didn't know what to do.

After finally finding his ex-teammate, he didn't know if he should join the battle with the risk of being seen. Generally, stalking required sneakiness and invisibility. Being seen was something to avoid.

But who would see him in the mist? Should Tobi interfere?

…Nah. Kakashi could hold his ground. Maybe.

But, _hey_, when the mist cleared Tobi could help the nukenin with his injuries. The Uchiha wasn't too sure if the scent he smelt was Kakashi's blood or something, but he was willing to heal him without being spotted. If the Hatake wasn't alive, how could Tobi discover the secret to manipulate loyalities?

He almost giggled when he thought about his ex-teammate's face if the latter suddenly found himself mysteriously healed. It would be _hilarious_!

…It looked like Tobi didn't need to interfere. A brown-haired kunoichi knocked out the last Hounin and started healing Kakashi.

The Uchiha tilted his head and frowned (not that anyone could see it). Why was a Kumo nukenin helping him? Well, whatever: Tobi needed to return to Ame and tell Nagato to recruit someone for the Akatsuki. He would assign a Zetsu clone to stalk Kakashi and redirect some Hounins away from him.

Tobi morphed somewhere else without alerting anyone.

* * *

Kumiko didn't know what to do until Kakashi woke.

Her supplies wouldn't last for long and the Konohan's were sealed in some scrolls (coded to Kakashi's chakra, obviously): the kunoichi could take only a few chakra and blood pills, a roll of bandages and even fewer ration bars.

But Kumiko couldn't very well leave Kakashi alone: who knew if his condition got worse during her absence and he died?

The Kumo nukenin sighed. She really hoped that her kindness wasn't getting her backstabbed.

* * *

Jiraya left Konoha to search Kakashi two days after he fled.

Obviously, after a while, rumors of his defection already spread in a lot of villages: both shinobi and civilians knew something about the Hatake.

The citizens said he helped them, protected their houses, tracked and killed threats and sometimes brought messages back and forth, all the while accepting what the 'clients' could give him and disappearing a moment later.

The Toad Sage didn't get much information from other nukenins (not always willingly, but oh well) or Konoha teams: Kakashi covered his tracks well and no one knew when or where he would appear again. Everyone had to rely on their luck and hope the town they were in was where the Hatake would show up.

After receiving Genma's lead, Jiraya immediately travelled to Nami no Kuni: Kakashi couldn't be so stupid to go inside Mizu, right?

* * *

_A week later_

Kakashi woke up tired. Very tired.

His limbs weighted tons more and he couldn't move: every time he tried to lift his body, his muscles begged him to stop and pain wreaked havoc on his nerves. All in all, he felt like an Akimichi rolled over him. If he didn't remember his fight against the Kiri Hounins, Kakashi would have gladly kept his eyes closed. After all, if someone bothered to heal him, he was with his friends.

But he was a _nukenin_, and as a nukenin he didn't have friends. He forced his right eye open.

He discovered he was inside a cave, a _freaking cave_. There was a little fire on his left, but he couldn't see anything else. Kakashi wasn't bound or restrained in any way, but whoever caught him must have seen that he couldn't flee from there: hell, he couldn't even turn his head!

Kakashi was completely at everyone's mercy right now.

When he was Captain Wolf and exhausted completely his chakra, there were always his teammates. There was always Genma, ready to scold him for his recklessness and bring him back to Konoha.

There was always Raido, hidden somewhere in the shadows to rig traps and mutter something about an idiot captain, too much medic supplies wasted and how Kakashi should stop taking head-on twenty something shinobi alone.

There was always Yugao, crouched beside him to heal him with her chakra and ordering him to stay alive and don't scare them to death while returning covered in blood and injuries (even if Kakashi was the captain).

What could he do, now that his teammates weren't there?

* * *

Kumiko looked at her… patient.

He woke up some minutes ago, but he couldn't sense her. Maybe it was because Kakashi was still recovering from chakra exhaustion, blood loss and nasty injuries.

The Hatake was clearly alarmed, but after a while he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. If Kumiko didn't find him, he would be dead meat by now. Really, the Copy Ninja should be more alert.

She completed a pretty simple mission in the nearest town, but otherwise the kunoichi waited and secured the area with some traps. It was strange that no Hounins wandered near the cave.

'_I mean, seriously? Shouldn't they search Kakashi?_' Kumiko mockingly thought, '_Whoever was sent to hunt in this sector is clearly an idiot for not checking here.' _She wasn't exactly complaining, but the lack of action was making her restless. What if they were waiting to strike?

She used a stick to poke the burning wood and the fire kept flickering.

Kumiko stilled when she saw Kakashi's eye on her.

* * *

**A/N: Third Chapter, YAY! :D**

**Kumiko is an OC. **

**But hey, you can suggest me whatever you want! Don't forget that in the review! ;)**

**Beware of the Kitsune's rage!**

**-Shiiroi Kitsune21**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to The Shifting, Yungsun, Prescripto13, stroopery and Guest for reviews! Feed me with sweet nectar! :D**

**Answering The Shifting: I did the OC no Jutsu because it seemed too early to place Zabusa, Haku and other known nukenins, so I made someone else join Kakashi and pull him out of trouble! I'll keep this up! :3**

**Answering Prescripto13: Who knows? Ehehehe, he'll stalk Kakashi and decide something… ;)**

**Answering Guest: I could try. But hey, Yugao is still an ANBU. Can't have all ANBUs go rouge, ne?**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Ally?**

Kumiko and Kakashi had an impromptu staring contest.

Both were wary of the other in some twisted way, trying to come up with something to say. The kunoichi was sure that, somehow, her patient would stand up and tackle her (she was B-rank, he was A-rank – and the Konohan was a genius, wasn't he?). Really, why did she save him… ah. Yeah, that unspoken life saver rule. Right.

Kakashi, instead, was trying to come up with a plan to leave the cave without pointing a metaphorical 'I'm weak now, kill me!' neon sign to himself. He didn't recognize the woman in his Bingo Book (meaning she was, in normal circumstances, weaker than him), but with chakra exhaustion, injuries and soreness – no, that wouldn't be a fair fight. The kunoichi would just kill him if he tried to escape.

This left only a way – talk his way out of this trouble.

"May I know who you are?" Kakashi asked, trying to push away the awful feeling in his throat (when was the last time he drank?). He wasn't exactly in the position of threaten her, so he added a polite tone to his question.

The woman snapped out of her thoughts abruptly.

"I'm Yumi Kumiko," she answered, "and, well…" she scratched the back of her neck, and Kakashi noticed on two deep scars her upper left arm, like some beast tried to rip her with its claws. "…I already know who you are, Hatake Kakashi."

He wasn't so surprised she recognized him – he _was_ a famous (or infamous, depending on which side of the border you were) shinobi with silver hair, a mask and a scar over his left eye. He wasn't exactly one who could easily blend in the crowds without a proper Henge or disguise.

Now that he could see Kumiko's face, he noticed she was a Kumo kunoichi (unless she stole the hitai-ate from some corpse) with chocolate brown hair and green eyes – which weren't seen often in Lightning territory. But her name sounded like… it was inspired from Kumo.

"What happened?" Kakashi couldn't help but ask. After all, if the silence stretched for too long, who knows where 'Kumiko' would take the conversation? Maybe she could forget her kindness all together and just torture him, who knew? Certainly not Kakashi.

The woman looked somewhere between annoyed and pround, "A week ago, I saw you were fighting two Hounin Teams," she said, and Kakashi remained silent, "You weren't in top condition, so I decided to save you."

The kunoichi stared silently at the shinobi in front of her. He would have fidgeted if he could move easily.

"…How much time will it take until you can run?" she asked, her look daring him to lie.

Kakashi tried to move his hand, but he could only twitch his fingers (with more effort than he liked). His feet refused to move and he didn't feel anywhere _near_ ready to _walk_, let alone run.

"Another three days minimum to stand," he answered. He purposefully didn't say he sometimes needed more than a week to run and mold chakra without problems. The most he took to walk again was almost a month – a broken leg, he discovered, didn't heal well with chakra exhaustion and poison. But that was another story.

Kumiko frowned and, after shuffling through some bags, she took out four scrolls – _his scrolls_, he realized – which he recognized as the 'containing whatever you need but not weapons' kind. How did she know it? _Did_ she know it?

"My supplies aren't enough for two," she deadpanned, "unseal yourself a snack (or whatever Konohans eat). If you don't, I'll just ditch you and invite the Hounins to have a party."

The kunoichi turned around and, after placing the scrolls in Kakashi's reach, she left (most probably) to do a perimeter sweep.

'_Well, I'm alive,'_ he thought, _'…I guess_.'

* * *

Minato was scared. Inwardly, of course. Hokages _do not _show fear.

Kakashi was somewhere south-east, either in Mizu or Nami no Kuni. Jiraya and two ANBU Teams were searching him there, and the blonde couldn't help but worry and fear for the worst, all the while trapped in his office.

Worried that someone already found him: be it a random enemy, another nukenin, _Orochimaru_ (terrified shudder), _anyone_ who could meet Kakashi, anyone who would fight tooth and nail to stop Minato from bringing his student back.

Worried that, somehow, other Nations found him first – _killed, captured, out of Minato's reach_ _forever_: maybe he ended up on a metal table to be examined (Kami knew there were rumors of the merciless, ruthless '_Bloody Mist'_…), maybe Kiri left his corpse to be completely destroyed…

Scared, _terrified_, that Kakashi _didn't want_ to return, that Minato and Jiraya's betrayal hit him deep, so deep he didn't want to set foot in Konoha ever again, fearing everyone else would betray him and leave.

_Frightened_, _horrified_, that he would have to fight against _his student_ until his last breath. That he would have to see Kakashi _– his Kakashi_, his student since the boy was _five_ – try to destroy Konoha with his hands for revenge. Revenge for something Minato couldn't explain.

How could he stop his last living (as far as he knew, which wasn't very comforting) student, if _that_ happened?

Whatever possessed him to almost kill him (he still had nightmares about it) wasn't going to give him the will to do the same, if push came to shove. Minato didn't have the heart to kill his not-quite-adopted son/student.

He always missed Kushina's love, and now he did more than ever: he didn't have her comforting presence, her fierce temper and her tidal waves of emotions, not anymore since _that day_.

If she survived, he was sure she would whack his head. "_What are you doing still in your office?!"_ she would screech, her long red hair moving on their own "_You're the Hokage – give yourself the permission to leave the village and find that brat – DATTEBANE!" _

As if sensing Minato's distress, little almost-seven-months old Naruto curled closer to the Yondaime's chest, reaching for his warmth.

The blonde smiled at his son (_his and Kushina's son_), tiny Namikaze Naruto, Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. Jailor of the monster that killed his mother and dozens of other Konoha shinobi.

If it wasn't for _that man_…

That masked, cloaked and hooded man, that asshole with a Sharingan (Minato hoped it didn't mean the Uchiha were traitors) who unleashed the Kyuubi on Konoha, right when Naruto was born.

Minato closed his eyes. He couldn't lose himself in Memory Lane every time.

There was still a lot of work to do, and he couldn't let Konoha's citizens down.

* * *

No traps have been triggered and Kumiko wasn't very comfortable.

Kakashi woke – nothing to worry about. Actually, it was good news (if she convinced him to not back-stab her, that is), confirming he wasn't in coma or close to dying. The kunoichi could introduce him to the true nukenin's life, giving him some advices and whatnot: it wasn't often an A-ranked shinobi needed help but when he did, he sure remembered who helped. Who knew, maybe her favor would be returned.

No one approached them – suspicious, too strange and not good in the long run. There could be who-knows-how-many Hounins and other enemies already waiting there to ambush them. With more people together, the stillness was dangerous: Kumiko knew (from her own experience as a Kumo special agent) Hounins occasionally supported each other if their objectives were more easily accomplished.

She and Kakashi were in that cave for a week already. More time than that in the same place was like digging their own grave, leaving really, really strong chakra and smell trails. The kind that created huge, fluorescent and bright '_hunt us down!' _signs all over the place.

Problem was, Kakashi couldn't move and she didn't feel like travelling with deadweight on her shoulder. She could do a Bunshin, maybe. It would take little chakra to do a Mizu Bunshin near a lake (even a puddle was enough), and Water Country was (you don't say?) full of random lakes, rivers and water sources.

It still would leave a more evident trail to the next city and carrying a shinobi on the shoulder was pretty suspicious, even among Shinobi Nations. Plus, if some Hounins reached them, Kumiko didn't know how to protect someone unable to fight (for the time being) and fight herself multiple opponents.

She occasionally worked with some nukenins and saved others, but no one needed her care this much. The worst case she faced as a missing-nin was five senbon through someone's ankle: fortunately, they were both near a city and, after dumping him in the local Hospital, she left.

What to do now, when the nearest town was five or so miles away, without backup or someone else?

* * *

"We're moving."

Kakashi shot her a startled look that screamed, '_are you crazy?!_'

Kumiko merrily ate something, changed Kakashi's bandages, applied some more chakra on his left shoulder, sealed her things in her scrolls and ordered Kakashi to pack whatever stuff he brought out (disregarding all together the fact he could hardly move).

It was sunset – the perfect time for every ninja to move unseen and unheard. Whether said ninjas crossed paths, that was impossible to predict.

Kakashi didn't look too eager to get a piggy-back five miles-long ride from an unknown Kumo kunoichi, but he didn't have much say in it and Kumiko's Water Clone happily picked him up.

'Move or be killed' was a good advice, and the kunoichi didn't want to spend more time than necessary in a single place with someone who, for now, was deadweight. Coupled with the fact he had the whole world looking for him, it was better moving out.

* * *

Jiraya still didn't find Kakashi in Nami no Kuni.

Was that brat really _so _stupid? He should know Kiri's Hounins had the nasty habit to never give up a chase. And, even worse, they were familiar within their islands: they knew the most hidden and dangerous places, they had spies everywhere…

There were rumors of a coup d'état, too, brewing in the higher shinobi ranks against the Mizukage. Jiraya wasn't sure he could retrieve Kakashi if a civil war broke out.

He was one of the Sannin, but everyone had his limits: he didn't know if the Hatake was willing or not to come back, he didn't know if there was Kiri or someone else who already got his hands on him… there were too many unknown factors that could spin out of control.

Jiraya couldn't risk starting another war to bring back Kakashi; he could only do his hardest to complete his mission and hope this went well.

He left the ANBU teams to continue the research in Nami and headed to Mizu no Kuni.

* * *

_Six days later _

Kakashi was up and normally running – even if he wasn't at his full strength, he could travel at chuunin or low-jonin speed.

He and Kumiko didn't engage any Hounin (thank Kami for that – otherwise the kunoichi would have just ditched him), but both were jittery: just _what was happening_? It didn't make any sense, unless the hunter-nins were preparing the perfect ambush; every Nation wanted to get their hands on Kakashi and his (not really his) Sharingan.

His left shoulder was still a little painful to move, but the gash was almost fully closed. The other injuries were healed completely and he only had to wait for his chakra reserves to refill.

During that time, both nukenin got to know each other. As much as they were willing to reveal and what they could guess by the other's behavior, which wasn't too much.

Kakashi discovered Kumiko disliked most of all getting ordered around, she was left-handed (her pouch was on her left thigh) and not only she knew iryo-jutsu, but the kunoichi was pretty skilled with poison-coated senbon, too. He still didn't know when she got the deep scars on her upper arm.

Kumiko discovered Kakashi had a silver tongue and could make a weapon out of everything (one day, with too much time on their hands, they played 'death by teacup' – a popular game among ANBU, both of Konoha and Kumo. Inventing creative ways to kill was, in a worrisome way, rather funny and entertaining); the Hatake, rather unexpected (and contradictory) from a nukenin, valued loyalty as the most important virtue.

"If loyalty is so important," Kumiko asked once, "why did you leave your village?"

Kakashi narrowed his eye defensively and almost growled her not to pry in his past. There were the undertones of 'it's worse than you could ever imagine' and 'if I say anything I'll have to kill you somehow', so Kumiko refrained from scoffing and digging for answers. She was still curious, though.

The two nukenins, now that Kakashi could travel easily, were on an island near Uzushiogakure.

"Where should we go?" the silver-haired shinobi asked, looking around. The town was rather… normal, per se, but Kumiko said there was an important place somewhere here.

The kunoichi smiled a little and answered, "You normally offered your help to normal citizens, right?"

Kakashi nodded.

"While that's good to build a reputation among clients," Kumiko continued, "it attracts a lot of hunters, as well; to avoid that, there are… special places to accept missions, like the one we're going to visit."

She seemed a little too eager to show him, but Kakashi didn't have much choice: he _did_ need to get used to the nukenin lifestyle. Parading around cities to help others, like Kumiko said and he knew, attracted too much attention – both good and bad.

After all, only if Kakashi adapted to his new status he could find whoever dropped fake evidences on those five corpses. And when he did, he would torture and kill him/her… and then? Best case scenario, he could get reinstated in Konoha's ranks. Worst case scenario, he would get executed.

"We're here."

Kakashi raised his head and looked at the plain building in front of him. It was purposefully created to inspire boredom and the 'that's not important' feeling every hidden facility must exude. The house screamed 'I'm not suspicious' with its wooden door, normal windows (which didn't lead to anything relevant) and white colour.

The Hatake followed the other nukenin inside the building. Even the inside was normal – if it wasn't for the concealed door near the bathroom, which led somewhere downstairs.

"Are you scared?" Kumiko asked, "Come on, we're there!" She looked like she was pouting, but the stairs weren't lit enough to tell.

Kakashi followed her and he couldn't help but ask himself what other surprises awaited him, down in the darkness.

* * *

**Another Chapter! OMG! :D **

**I don't know when the 'Bloodline purge' and the coup d'état started, so I made it start later. If I'm wrong well… let's say I wanted it so and this is an AU in more ways than Alive!Minato ;) **

**'****Death by teacup' is a game I picked out of 'Yet, mad I'm not' (if I'm not wrong), but I don't remember the author… whoever he/she is, the game idea is his/hers! Gomen for my non-existing memory! **

**Kumiko wants to help Kakashi because she sees him as a valuable ally and a dangerous enemy: she prefers the 'easier' way and befriended him early, when he was in need of a 'guide'. So much love, eh? But no, I don't think I'll do KakashixOC. **

**If you want to suggest other nukenins to meet Kakashi, I'm all ears! If there aren't suitable suggestions I'll insert other OCs, beware! :D**

**And, if you're wondering, a lot of the nukenins' lifestyle I'm writing is picked from 'Snapshots of The life and times of Hatake Kakashi' of Hermionechan90! **

**I forgot the Dictionary! :O **

**Mizu no Kuni: Water Country**

**Nami no Kuni: Waves Country **

**Hi no Kuni: Fire Country**

**Mizu Bunshin: Water Clone**

**Iryo-jutsu: medic techniques **


	5. Chapter 5

**I returned?! OMG! :O**

**The Shifting: I changed the Canon age (fourteen) into sixteen. Why? Because in the anime Kakashi was too tall and… muscular (?) to be only fourteen. I don't think he had a growth spurt at thirteen or something… He refers Kumiko as a woman because she was older than 'girl'… About the big sis/ little bro relationship… well, you'll see ;3 **

**Callian31: I wrote that because in my other stories Naruto died one way or another :O but both of them are alive now! ;) **

**Love toshiro dragon: I'm glad you like this story! However that has to wait, my friend! ;D **

**Thanks to Yungsun, The Shifting, love toshiro dragon and Callian31 and Prescripto13 for their reviews to the last chapter! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Never giving up, new start! **

Every nukenin looked at the stairs.

Two ninjas entered, a woman and a young man. Some resumed their business, just to do a double take after they _really _saw who arrived.

Who else had silver hair other than _Hatake freaking Kakashi_?

Most nukenins jumped into battle stances and readied their weapons (kunais, senbons, swords, puppets and everything in between), while some shady characters -clients, apparently- stared wide-eyed.

Someone in the backrow chuckled.

"Relax," he lazily ordered, "Hatake defected a month ago – he's a nukenin."

Whoever the man was, he was respected (and feared, most probably) enough that almost everyone returned to their business wordlessly. The fresher-looking nukenins constantly glanced back and forth the new comers and the mysterious man. Kumiko smirked.

"Some reputation you've got here," she whispered, probably to herself, and motioned him to follow her.

Kakashi was silent as he analyzed his surroundings and the other ninjas: there were several nukenin from his own Bingo Book, some looked like homicidal psychos and others were staring (in awe, in fear, in anger and sometimes all together) at him. Few shinobi were looking at Kumiko, most probably trying to understand why she was with him.

They settled in a dark(er) corner of the room.

"This," Kumiko whispered, loud enough only for Kakashi to hear, "is one of the 'Rooms' where we accept missions. They're very well hidden and the clients (criminals, businessmen, sometimes even other nukenins) make sure to leave no trails."

Kakashi nodded. More times than he would admit he got near these 'Rooms', but couldn't barge in without harming civilians in his wake – _Hi no Kuni's_ civilians. He couldn't risk it on mission, when everything he did could backfire on Konoha.

"Most missions are assassinations, theft (disguised as 'retrieval'), co-op requests and hidden guard." The kunoichi continued, "You already have a fearsome reputation, so you shouldn't have much trouble getting one. You might have problems with the co-op requests, though."

So Kakashi _was right_ about nukenins who worked together. It looked like a common thing, too. There was something similar in the ANBU HQ: some teams, during the mission debriefing, asked for a support squad – either for iryo-nins, tracking nins or infamous shinobi for interrogation's sake. Still, there was something else in his head.

"Who was that man before?" he asked to the kunoichi. She blinked.

"You don't know…! Ah, never mind…" Kumiko gathered her thoughts together. "Well… he's the owner of this Room. Most nukenins call him the 'Sleeping Beast' because of his normally lazy attitude and dark reputation…" she suppressed a shudder.

"What's his real name?" More information, the better – as a nukenin, more than ever.

"The Room's owner doesn't parade around his name, Kakashi." the Kumo kunoichi answered, rolling her eyes, "Still… I heard he was a former Kiri jonin – one that loved killing with a passion no one rivaled… There's a rumor he killed his own student _on a whim_, can you believe it?" This time she _did_ shudder.

'_Killed his own student'_ rang more times than necessary in Kakashi's mind. That would have happened to him, too, if he had a break down when the Yondaime tried to kill him. Or if the blonde started hunting him down an hour before… the Hatake survived this far thanks to his luck, it seemed.

The unexpected head-start, the random travels between towns (always hoping to never run into comrades), Kumiko's appearance… if it wasn't for these events, he would have died a hundred times over.

"Hatake Kakashi?"

Both nukenins turned towards the speaker. The man had light brown, disarrayed and short hair, a moustache and fair skin. His eyes were dark, but no one could tell their colour because of the darkness. He wore brown travelling clothes.

"There are rumors about a disturbance," he began, "between here and Benisu Island. I have to leave with my ship, but I don't feel safe and calling another village would take too much time." he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm asking for your presence and protection – of course, I'll pay you when we arrive."

Straight to the point. A merchant who dared to go inside a room full of nukenins to request a guard for his ship. The man – somewhere around thirty years old – had _guts_.

Kakashi mentally viewed Benisu Island – north-east from Uzushio, a little independent state which lived of trading; most people were merchants, sailors and blacksmiths, but there were also some low-level shinobi. It was obvious some pirates would show up and rob the occasional boat that had the misfortune to sail near them.

He looked at Kumiko and nodded. She smirked and returned the gesture to agree with him.

"Deal." Kakashi said, much to the merchant's relief.

* * *

Jiraya stopped when he saw signs of a fight.

Actually, he had seen _several_ fight scenes these days in Mizu no Kuni – most looked like battles between Hounins and nukenins, prompting him to never lower his attention. He analyzed them every time he spotted one, hoping to find a lead to Kakashi. The Toad Sage was sure Minato would never forgive him if he didn't try his best to retrieve the brat.

And neither would he.

The clearing, littered with weapons and jutsu marks, hosted a battle little more than a week ago. The bark on some trees had deep, slightly burnt cracks Jiraya felt like he should recognize…

_'__Chidori!' _The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He had heard Minato's bragging about his student's personal jutsu and the Sage saw the kid perform it, both on the battlefield and training (who said Jiraya wasn't good at sneaking? He may wear red and have a huge bush of white hair, but he wasn't a Sannin for nothing).

He focused on the raiton marks and he had his confirmation – _white chakra_. _Kakashi_ had been there.

The blood stains were gone (Cleaned? Dried naturally?), but their stench could still be smelt. After almost a decade of hanging around the brat -who would never admit he stuck to Minato like glue- Jiraya could pick up Kakashi's scent. It wasn't damped by what felt like other eight or nine traces.

Meaning he lost as much blood as his opponents – _not good_.

Jiraya, upon further inspection, noticed only two chakras left the clearing: one was almost covering up the other (fainter and weaker), but the Toad Sage could tell the latter was Kakashi's.

Someone captured him after he exhausted his chakra.

That realization immediately brought out all the worst outcomes Jiraya could think of – was Kakashi somewhere in Kiri to be tortured, killed or, even worse, to be _brainwashed_? There were jutsus capable of doing just that, and no amount of cruelty would stop Kiri from performing them.

Quickly stopping that train of thought, the Sage followed the kidnapper's chakra as fast as he could without alerting everyone in a mile's radius, only to found himself in front of a little mountain; a pretty uncommon thing to find in Mizu no Kuni. There didn't seem to be caves, but the chakra trail literally entered inside the stone.

Jiraya immediately dispelled the genjutsu placed upon the opening, taking less than a second to admire the well-hidden traps on the entrance and the woods and silently sneaked inside. Once confirmed he was alone, he quickly analyzed his surroundings.

Some evidences confirmed there were two people (as Jiraya expected), one chakra-depleted and another more active. Actually, the latter's chakra was stuck on almost everything around the cave; that was one of the mysterious kidnapper's hideouts, even if he couldn't find anything. The smells were dulled somewhat by the humidity, so the Toad Sage couldn't tell when the captor left.

Right outside the cave, Kakashi's white signature grew in intensity – meaning he was given the chance to recover from his fights.

_'__But for what purpose?' _Jiraya couldn't help but fear.

He quickly wrote his findings on a scroll, summoned a toad and sent it straight to Minato. The older man knew every new about Kakashi's trail would be welcomed by the blonde Hokage.

* * *

The navigation went smoothly for about three hours.

Then hell broke loose.

Kakashi and Kumiko weren't the only ones who could defend themselves, much to their relief. Three of the sailors had a little of basic shinobi training – how to focus on the battle and weapons' throwing. They were doing a great job to protect their companions from the pirates, who were definitely ninjas. The enemies were roughly twenty-three, counting the ship's captain.

Kakashi immediately engaged him, knowing he was the most dangerous of the threats. Kumiko started her fight with a barrage of carefully aimed senbons and jumped straight into the fray of pirates.

"Tsk. So we meet _you_, Hatake Kakashi?" sneered the captain. He wore an outrageously red open jacket, black pants, knee-length boots and a black headband, which marked him as a shinobi from Gestugakure, in Moon Country. He brandished twin swords – _sabers_, a distant part of Kakashi's brain supplied.

"I didn't expect to meet you, either," Kakashi deadpanned back, narrowing both his eyes. Someone from Gestugakure, Gestugakure… did he know something about him?

They didn't waste any other pleasantries and started fighting. The pirate attacked Kakashi head-on with a deadly whirlwind of blades, slashing and thrusting his sabers with blatant skill and ease. The nukenin quickly understood he couldn't overpower him if he used his sword and decided to block the attacks with his kunai.

Kakashi jumped away when his opponent's hits came close to harm him and, still in midair, he threw a barrage of kunai and shuriken. He struck two wayward pirates who lowered their guards, but the unnamed captain blocked the ones meant for him before leaping after the nukenin.

The Hatake knew he couldn't allow himself to near his enemy carelessly – those sabers would very easily cut a limb off, if Kakashi wasn't careful. The Moon nukenin was fast, too, if the way he quickly chased after him was anything.

Time to take the fight in his field – ninjutsu.

Kakashi ran on the boat's edge and swiftly performed some hand seals, gathering his chakra and redirecting it to the water below.

"Suiton: Water Bullets no jutsu!"

The captain's eyes widened a little when he looked to his right and saw five water bullets aiming straight at him. He quickly dashed away to avoid them, ignoring his subordinates' surprised shouts after the bullets hit them. Kakashi killed two pirates before appearing in front of the Moon nukenin with a kunai in his hand, charged with lightning chakra.

His dark eyes widened again and he blocked the hit raising his right sabre – just what Kakashi needed.

The chakra-charged kunai broke the sabre in half and the Konohan allowed himself a smirk of victory. That self-pompous, arrogant and outrageously red nukenin got what he deserved for underestimating him and his fame.

"Junichi!"

Ah, so his name was Junichi. Kakashi didn't even turn around to see who shouted that – he had a much more pressing matter. He quickly used Kawarimi to avoid the left-handed slash and he briefly checked the situation.

Kumiko took care of twelve pirates already, while their client's men were still engaged in hand-to-hand combat against the other ten enemies. The Kumo kunoichi was swiftly making her way through her opponents, throwing senbon and striking with kunai if the pirates were too close.

Junichi looked pretty upset. Nah, scratch that: he was absolutely _furious_. Looks like no one just touched his sabers and survived to tell the tale.

He charged at Kakashi with an enraged shout, furiously slashing.

* * *

Jiraya pumped more chakra to his feet. If he was fast enough, he could get Kakashi before his captor harmed him permanently.

_Right? _

The Sannin gritted his teeth. That was such a foolish hope – whoever caught Kakashi had enough time to do everything he wanted: torture, dissection, brainwash… that brat could have died a thousand times over during the time Jiraya wasted in the past days.

Why was his grand-student so _unpredictable_?!

Jiraya went to the most logic destination, Nami no Kuni – and instead Kakashi was in Mizu no Kuni, where Kiri Hounins were literally _everywhere_. The first thing he would do to him was punching him straight in the face for making such a stupid decision and only _then_ he would explain everything.

"We weren't thinking straight," Jiraya would shout at him, "Minato is already searching for the real culprit, he knows it wasn't you – we've always known, but we were too blind to see it." Then the Toad Sage would grab his shoulders and look at his friend's son straight in the eye, declaring, "Don't you ever think about leaving again, you little brat – we'll take a Yamanaka to confirm you weren't the murderer."

Minato was reluctant to call one only because the mind reading was painful as hell. The soft-hearted leader couldn't bear to order his last living student to undergo such an agonizing process, but… it seemed not even him and Jiraya were thinking straight that night, and they made the worst decision they could do.

And now they were paying the consequences – Kakashi left Konoha, labeled as a nukenin and constantly on the run, now unprotected by his village.

Jiraya stopped suddenly when he entered inside a town near Uzushio – or rather, where that village had been. He had to remind himself that he had to use a disguise, just in case Kakashi was walking by and spotted him. The Toad Sage held tightly on the hope that the brat had escaped from his captor without serious harm.

He followed Kakashi's trail as fast as 'not-suspicious' allowed, and his eyes widened when he saw where it ended – the town's port.

Something cold dropped in his stomach and he paled. No, no, _NO!_

He completely disregarded his disguise and roof-hopped to the port, where several sailors were enjoying that sunny day. Jiraya probably attracted tons of unwanted attention, but he didn't give a flying shit – _he was losing Kakashi's trail! _

He stopped when he noticed he was standing on the sea and searched hopelessly for a ship with Kakashi on it, a faint trace of white chakra, even a smell, _anything_ that could bring him to that brat.

The trail ended on the shore.

* * *

"We're finally after Wolf-taicho!"

"Hold your horses, Crow. We should be careful, it's _Wolf _we're talking about-"

"He's our Taicho, Sparrow," the violet-haired Rabbit deadpanned on his right, "we won't waste any more time, you should understand that."

Bear decided to add his own two cents, nodding. "We know he won't harm us, nukenin or not – plus, we know his tactics, in case you still think he'll attack us."

Crow and Rabbit, also known as Genma and Yugao, agreed whole-heartedly with Raido. They knew that, deep down, Kakashi won't attack them: if there was something they learned from him, it was his fierce protectiveness for his comrades.

Hayate didn't seem so convinced about it, but he eventually lowered his head and sighed. If they were absolutely sure Kakashi wouldn't attack them, then the mission should go smoothly.

Key word: _should_.

And that wasn't even including the unknown factors and limitations.

_"__Jiraya-sama confirmed there's _someone_," here Minato gritted his teeth, "who captured Kakashi and took him away in the northern islands of Mizu no Kuni for unknown purposes. Your objective is to save Kakashi and bring him back to Konoha." The Hokage sighed dejectedly, closing his eyes. "If a civil war breaks out – as Jiraya is suspecting – then retreat _immediately_. We can't afford... to start a war, so Konoha mustn't be involved in this." _

Well, wasn't that comforting.

Hayate was assigned as the temporary captain of Team Ro, since they were without one. And, as Minato admitted to him, he would have a clearer head to lead the others – he wasn't attached emotionally to Kakashi, he had a lot of experience and was involved enough not to kill the Hatake on sight. Yugao knew how to be persuasive, it seemed.

Team Ro headed to the south-eastern coast of Hi no Kuni, where Jiraya reported Kakashi was. They searched for any trace of their captain: smell, chakra, random people who saw him, wandering Konoha teams who may have heard something… nothing was left out.

Most would call them crazy, but they were sure every second they wasted resting was a second in which their captain could die.

As the clock ticked on, Kakashi was farther away from them. Who knew, maybe they already lost him. Maybe his captor already killed him, brainwashed him and turned him into a puppet, a shell of himself. Maybe the Kakashi they knew was already dead.

None of these thoughts stopped them from searching him.

Three days passed since they started their hunt, and they finally found a lead to their captain – to Benisu island. They were both relieved and nervous: Kiri didn't get him, but then who did? Maybe some random nukenin, maybe he saved himself and stopped there, maybe Orochimaru moved from his hideouts and took him… they didn't know what was true.

Team Ro wouldn't let the truth slip from their grasp again.

* * *

Kakashi and Kumiko arrived at Benisu island just the day before, after killing all the pirates. Junichi of Gestugakure was a B-ranked nukenin, so Kumiko sealed his corpse inside a scroll to get the bounty. It wasn't much money, but the kunoichi shrugged it off with a "more money we have, the better we'll live." Kakashi agreed and suggested to stop at the inn inside the town, right after receiving the mission pay.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "That's more money than I expected."

"Well, if you're comparing this to your village's pays…" Kumiko sighed and shook her head. She had to explain everything, didn't she? "Clients pay us more 'cause we're nukenins, just to keep us happy and stop us from robbing their cities."

Silence.

"…right." All of this nukenin stuff was still hard to swallow, but Kakashi could understand the clients' prospective: missing-nins were ninjas with nothing to lose, no orders to follow, no responsibility whatsoever and most certainly no pity for their enemies. If someone provoked a nukenin, there wasn't any village that could restrain the shinobi from getting his revenge.

Bisuke chose that moment to return from his perimeter sweep. "Boss," he barked, "Team Ro is heading here!"

By the way Kakashi stiffened, Kumiko didn't think it was a good sign. She raised an eyebrow when he started packing immediately. If that was an ANBU team, why was he so worried? The mission they finished yesterday was B-ranked at worse, they had more than enough energy to fend off four enemies.

"That's my old team," Kakashi stated quietly, "we have to go!"

Well, if those four opponents knew basically everything about him… Kumiko didn't waste more time and, after quickly sealing her things, she jumped outside the window. Kakashi followed her a second later, heading again inside Mizu no Kuni.

What better way to lose an ANBU team than go into another Shinobi Country?

* * *

Genma gritted his teeth. "Dammit! We've lost him!"

"Taicho has been there recently…" murmured Yugao, looking inside the room, "It looks like he knew we were going here and fled." She frowned at the end. Why would their captain go away?

Raido grimaced. Kakashi was definitely there, as well as another unknown person. By the chakra traces, the two of them had equal energy when they were there – meaning that either Kakashi was already brainwashed or he decided, more or less willingly, to ally with someone.

Luckily for Team Ro, it meant he was still alive and his health was good. But it still left a lot of questions: who was that unknown person, why Kakashi went with him (or her), why he left immediately before his teammates arrived?

Yugao suddenly gasped, "Guys! I found something!"

Everyone gathered around her and they looked at the piece of paper in her hands. It looked like it was hastily ripped from a scroll, and they knew it was Kakashi's only by his calligraphy – there wasn't anyone who could copy his chicken scratch without having the Sharingan.

"_Hunt the one who tricked the Alpha,_" was written.

Team Ro glanced at each other, leaking Killer Intent. Genma's fists trembled in rage and Raido's face was most probably settled in an angry scowl. Yugao could barely stop herself from lashing out at the first living being in a ten miles radius, if her fingers' subtle twitched were anything to go by.

Hayate didn't understand why this message upset his teammates more than losing their captain.

* * *

**BAM! I returned! :D **

**The message is easily understood if you replace 'Alpha' with 'Hokage' or 'Wolf': Team Ro knows that 'Alpha' can intend both of them, so it's pretty obvious why they're furious. Hayate is, well… he doesn't know the meaning of that code. But he can guess later it means "someone tricked me and the Hokage - get him and avenge me."**

**So… Kakashi and Kumiko head back to Kiri! Pretty bold move for them, uh? But Kumo is too far and Kakashi knows his teammates won't chase him inside another Shinobi Nation – unless Minato gave orders to do so, anyway. Maybe Kakashi was too lazy to go to Kumo, who knows? **

**If you have other questions, just drop them into your review ('cause I know you'll write one for me, Kakashi, Kumiko and for the love of puppies! :D)! I'll answer in the next Chapter or, depending on my mood, I'll send a PM. **

**Beware of the Kitsune's rage!**

**Shiiroi Kitsune21**


	6. Chapter 6

**OMG! An update?! **

**I'm so glad that you like my story! *weeps tears of joy* SHALL THE POWER OF YOUTH SHINE BRIGHTLY WITHIN YOU ALL! :'D **

**Thanks to Yungsun, love toshiro dragon, True Guardian Angel, Angie, Sparksofrandomness, Guest, Guest and Guest for reviewing! And now, onto the answers!**

**jleath1234: Uhhh... I'll try? Anko doesn't appear in this chapter, but I promise she will - somewhere ':)**

**Angie (and Guest): that would be a spoiler ;) Who knows if he'll return? *whistles and walks away innocently***

**Guest: After the Mizu chapters they'll either go to Kaminari (Lightning) or Kaze (Wind), so… I guess I just found out their next destination ;D**

**Onto the Chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Civil War **

Only a week passed since Kakashi and Kumiko fled from Benisu Island, and they soon noticed the lack of Hounin. At first, they were more alert than ever, thinking the hunter-nin were using some new strategy to capture and kill more nukenin. After crossing paths with several other missing-nins, they finally heard what happened.

A coup d'état. A freaking _coup d'état_ against the Mizukage.

Apparently, two weeks ago the Kaguya Clan had the _brilliant_ idea to wage war against Kirigakure and was ultimately exterminated by the village's forces. Since then, every village in Mizu no Kuni was fearful of their neighboring Clans, or outright hated them.

It was the first time Kakashi and Kumiko actually saw the results of this hatred, though.

The kunoichi waved a hand in front of her nose. That stench was really getting on her nerves – not that she wasn't used to blood and burnt flesh, but she preferred clean air, thank you very much.

"Now, who suggested to remain here?" she glared at her one-eyed companion, not-so-subtly implying she knew perfectly who did. If Kumiko wasn't so irritated, she would almost pity him – being the best rogue tracker, his sense of smell didn't help matters when in front of a damn _slaughter_.

Kakashi's nose twitched again. "It isn't my fault that blood has a strong smell," he deadpanned back. Really, it wasn't his intention to go anywhere near the carnage – which didn't sound finished, if the screams were anything to go by.

The nukenin duo was in front of what looked like a Clan Compound, outside some unknown village's walls. Several buildings were still burning and no one bothered to put out the rising flames – instead, Kakashi was almost sure someone was keeping up a Fuuton jutsu to burn everything to a crisp. It wasn't a good time for his nose.

On the Compound's gate was engraved an ice crystal, marking the people inside as members of the Yuki Clan.

"Kakashi, we have to go." Kumiko really couldn't understand what they were doing still in front of that Compound – random people were slaughtered inside it and, as far as she knew, Kakashi wasn't familiar with anyone of the Yuki Clan.

The shinobi sighed and nodded his head before leaping away.

He gritted his teeth – there were innocents inside those buildings, _innocents_ they allowed to be killed because of prejudice and completely unfounded fears. And yet, the nukenin duo had to agree on one thing: keeping a low profile. Hounins weren't chasing them (since they had to control the civilians and stop them from killing every bloodline wielder), the Hokage couldn't send ANBU teams on Kakashi's trail and no one would ever have a clue about his location – after all, who in their right mind would remain in Mizu no Kuni during a _civil war_?

But if they started helping the Clans, then the Hounins would be after them for bloodline theft, the Hokage would somehow hear about it and start tracking him again. For all they knew, even Kumo could send other ANBU teams to catch Kakashi and get his Sharingan.

He promised to himself he would at least try to help the next Clan they stumbled upon – ignoring the Yuki Clan was bad enough, doing it again was unacceptable.

* * *

Minato couldn't believe what Team Ro told him.

Someone truly tricked him, Jiraya and Kakashi – _someone_ planted false evidences on those five corpses with the purpose to kill or lead his student away from Konoha. After all, if the Hokage attacked a certain silver-haired shinobi, no one would have any right to oppose him.

On the other hand, if some random ninja did the same, he would get instantly executed by the hand of a _very angry_ Yondaime.

No, not some random ninja, Minato admitted to himself. Someone with enough power, resources and influence to deceive the whole ANBU corps, the Yellow Flash, the Copy ninja _and_ the Toad Sage at the same time. All the while getting away without being discovered.

Damn it, the Hokage was supposed to know everything, to keep the village and its citizens safe – including his student, his wife and his predecessor. The Hokage wasn't supposed to be tricked or deceived by anyone, show any kind of weakness and be anything but perfectly capable and reliable.

So far, Minato failed miserably.

Kushina and the Sandaime died, Kakashi left Konoha; the blonde allowed himself to be tricked, he lost every drop of faith that Kakashi had in him, he couldn't let go of his dead wife…

And he couldn't help but read repeatedly the message Team Ro gave him.

"_Hunt the one who tricked the Alpha_," was written, in the same chicken scratch Kakashi used whenever his report was for the Hokage's eyes only. Minato's eyebrow would twitch and the young Hatake would grin with that unnerving eye-smile he started doing out of the blue…

The Yondaime could almost imagine Kakashi, still there, still smirking, still in his office, before that 'someone' separated them. He could imagine his student, holding awkwardly his son and muttering under his breath about babies and what he would do if Naruto was anything like Kushina. He could imagine his wife, cheerfully humming an unknown melody and dancing in their house with their child in her arms…

Minato forcefully shoved those 'what ifs' in a dark corner of his mind, never to be uncovered again.

He gripped tighter the paper in his hands. Even if he wanted to keep it, he couldn't let another soul see the message. If the traitor was someone so clever and close to him, then Minato had to destroy every trace of Kakashi's help request.

He would have to ask the ANBU Commander to unearth his student's case and investigate again. He was the most influent person in Konoha's shinobi ranks after Minato himself and the Elders, after all. Homura, Koharu and Danzo didn't have the authority to do anything other than giving advices, though.

Should the Hokage tell them about the message?

No, it was better keeping it secret. Kakashi implied that the traitor had a lot of power and resources; he could be one of the Elders. Minato already checked Kitsune's profile and didn't find any suspicious activities – also, the man was very pround of his shinobi's efficiency. He would _never_ place fake evidences to drive away his best tracker.

The Hokage considered calling his friend Fugaku, telling him and the Uchiha Police to investigate. After all, if the ANBU failed to find the true culprit, the only other option was to call the Uchiha Clan. But then the whole keeping-the-message-secret thing would blow up. If Fugaku knew, Mikoto and the Uchiha would too, and the traitor could easily guess why the Hokage unearthed Kakashi's case.

Minato sighed. There was only one ANBU team he could call for this investigation, then.

* * *

Kakashi was shocked. Until Kumiko actually brought him to _this place_, he didn't think it could exist.

_A bar only for nukenin_.

As the Kumo kunoichi told him, buildings like this were scattered across the whole shinobi world – even though there weren't many missing-nins who made so much money, they had a very interesting idea to keep on living. What better way to hide than to remain in plain sight?

These bars looked regular both outside and inside – or rather, a _part of it_ was perfectly normal. If you said the magic keyword, instead, the staff ushered you to the nukenin lounge, which was more often than not underground. Kakashi didn't really want to go inside another cave, but he guessed beggars can't be choosers. After all, he was still on the run.

Apparently, these 'nukenin lounges' were the ideal place to get some information, catch the latest rumors and relax in a relatively-safe environment. Sometimes these places were used to get missions and ask for help, too, like the 'Rooms'. Kumiko stressed the "no weapons" and "don't talk about this to anyone" rules before ordering some liquor.

"That's ridiculous," she scoffed, putting down her glass, "the Mizukage actually _ordered_ the Hounin to annihilate everyone with a bloodline?! Is he _crazy_?!"

The bartender nodded and served a cocktail to another nukenin. "Seems like it, ma'am."

Kakashi narrowed his eye. So the Clans were hunted down by both villagers and Hounin, as ridiculous as it sounded. It was contradictory for a Hidden Village – the bloodline wielders were usually the strongest shinobi, why would a power-hungry Mizukage sentence them to death instead of sending them on missions or, if too young, enrolling them at the Academy?

Kakashi could understand the villager's fear and hatred, although unfounded, but the freaking _Mizukage_? He was supposed to have much more foresight than this. He shouldn't be frightened because of the Kaguya Clan and order a bloodline purge out of the blue.

"Well, maybe the Mizukage isn't even our dear Yagura."

Kumiko and Kakashi turned around to see a young nukenin with black make-up around his eyes and on his cheeks. The man ordered some sake before sitting down on the kunoichi's left like nothing was wrong in the world. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt under a light brown chest plate, black pants and toeless sandals. He had reddish hair and his headband marked him as a Suna shinobi.

"There are several rumors running around here," the ninja continued languidly, "and some people think that the Yondaime was already killed by the Seven Swordsmen – you know, right after the Kaguya Clan rebelled. It seems that those guys discovered what Yagura had in mind and overthrew him," here the Suna shinobi gulped down his sake, "and then BAM! Someone else took his place!"

Only after two seconds he noticed the weird looks he received from his audience. He chuckled sheepishly before answering their unspoken question.

"Nosumi Kiiroisuna, puppeteer." The young man bowed slightly and smirked at the two nukenin. His gaze then settled on Kakashi and his grin widened. "I'm humbled to meet such a _famous_ shinobi, Hatake-san."

"The pleasure is all mine, Nosumi…" Kakashi never, _never_ met such an idiotic-looking nukenin. He seemed to know a lot about this civil war, though. Maybe he could tell them something interesting and actually true.

The Suna shinobi chuckled again. "Oh, I'm sure it is," he said cheerfully, still grinning. "Aaaand… who's this beautiful lady here?"

The kunoichi glared at his poor attempt at flirting. "Kumiko," was her deadpan. She clearly didn't like the new guy's behavior very much.

Kakashi decided to intervene before Kumiko snapped and tried to strangle Nosumi. "So, what were you saying before?"

"Oh, right." He cleared his throat. "Uhm… the wildest rumor I've heard? Something about the Mizukage controlled by some crazy psycho who took his place all this time and Yagura being already dead since the end of the Third Shinobi War," he snickered and his face was clue enough about his opinion about it.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the absolutely impossible scenario. Someone who could replace the Mizukage without anyone noticing for all his years? Why would _anyone_ think this?

"There are several Kiri-nin that don't even know what they should do," Nosumi continued, "the Hounin Leader – a certain Dragon, I've heard – still controls his men, but whoever is giving orders told him to hunt the Clans and utterly ignores the normal forces. It wouldn't surprise me if war broke out between Kiri, Kumo and Konoha… but I guess you're much more informed than me, buddies."

Kakashi ignored his face-splitting grin and thought about Minato-sensei, even if it reopened painfully deep wounds in his heart. A war against Kiri was at the bottom of his to-do list, that was sure. The Kyuubi attack was almost eight months ago, after all. There were still buildings to repair and rebuild, orphaned children to comfort, strong shinobi to bury and…

Kushina, Naruto... the Hokage was still mourning his wife, all the while trying to take care of his son.

And Kakashi added himself to the Yondaime's list of worries.

He should have felt guilty and slightly exasperated by this, but instead he felt angry and hurt. His _Minato_, his _sensei_ since he was five, his not-quite-adopted _father_ tried to _kill_ him because of a damn _suspicion_.

A suspicion planted by a _traitor_, someone who wanted Kakashi either dead or away from Konoha.

And, what hurt him more than anything, Minato believed it to be the truth. He didn't even give him time to explain – he just teleported in his office, asked him if he murdered those five _bastards_ and promptly decided to kill him! He tried to slice his throat open, damn it!

"…no, I don't think Min- _the Hokage_ will declare war against Kiri."

Kumiko raised an eyebrow at him, but she wisely didn't call him on it. "Yeah… and Kumo is much more cautious after the Yondaime Raikage took his father's place – he prefers planning ahead. It's unlikely he'll attack Kiri."

Nosumi hummed in agreement and added his own opinion, "Last time I checked, the Yondaime Kazekage was too busy with his children and the Ichibi to wage war against anyone." He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I guess war won't break out, unless the Tsuchikage is stupid enough to cross Hi no Kuni."

The three nukenin fell silent. For a second.

"Hey, isn't it strange they are all Yondaime and there's still the Sandaime Tsuchikage?"

* * *

"Do you know what _it_ means?"

Raido nodded grimly. "Someone deceived the Hokage and Taicho to kick him out of Konoha." At the end of his answer, the scarred man was gripping his sword like it was that 'someone's neck. The hilt almost cracked under his force.

"And we have the task," Yugao continued determinately, "to get that _bastard_ and make him pay _dearly_ for _this_!" She banged her locker to empathize her words, like her tone wasn't enough. The kunoichi was utterly furious that someone actually dared to touch her captain, her inspiration, her sempai, her _friend_!

Genma agreed whole-heartedly with his teammates. "And don't forget," he added, "we need to bring Kakashi-taicho back to Konoha – and then we'll _finally_ see what's under his mask!"

Raido smirked at his friend's attempt to lighten the atmosphere, but he couldn't bring himself to give a smart-ass reply.

The Hokage gave them the mission to uncover Kakashi's case, find the real culprit and the _fucking_ traitor who drove their Taicho away. After that, Team Ro should find Kakashi again, tell him who tricked 'the Alpha' and bring him back to Konoha.

Without being discovered by anyone, of course.

It should have worried them that the mission was unranked, but they honestly didn't give a shit – they were the only ones who could save their captain and they _will_ complete this task, or die trying.

The Yondaime told them he won't call them for a mission unless it was absolutely necessary, since they had already their secret task. He would send Team Lynx or Falcon to keep track of Kakashi every once in a while – they were the best trackers after Team Wolf, the only ones he was willing to send after his student's message.

When Hayate gave him the piece of paper, Minato had gone as still as a rock before sighing, putting it down and listening to the report. No one would know what happened behind his blue eyes, once happy and expressive, suddenly turned unreadable.

Raido lied down on the bench on which he was sitting. He really wasn't looking forward to hear the village's venomous whispers about how Kakashi abandoned them without a reason – or facing the Uchiha's self-gloating speeches about how much they were right that Kakashi would turn into a traitor. If Raido didn't know any better, he would think the culprits were the Uchiha.

Oh wait, he _really_ didn't know any better.

He sighed. This suspicion just brought him to the start. The culprits could be anyone with a grudge against Kakashi, but the list ran very, very long.

The Uchiha Clan hated him for 'stealing' a Sharingan, 'killing' his teammates, 'exploiting' the 'stolen' Sharingan like it was his own and 'daring to disrespect their authority'. They had plenty of unfounded reasons to kill him or driving him away, they had the means to control someone else (aka the Sharingan) and enough influence to silence eventual threats to their ego.

But it could the Elders, too – especially Danzo. They dislike everyone, alright, but their glares were just a bit harder when Kakashi was around, and their words just a bit more venomous. Raido had heard something about how the whole 'the-White-Fang-failed-an-important-mission' affair still affected Kakashi when it came to the older population, especially the higher-ups who were in charge during the Third Shinobi War. Something about dishonor, shame on their village and their country and whatnot.

Genma immediately stated his utter dislike for Danzo and Raido had to admit the Elder seemed suspicious, too. Raido had a feeling that Orochimaru wasn't someone to trust blindly and he was revealed to be a mad scientist – he had the same sensation whenever he saw Danzo.

Coincidence? He thought not.

But the hunt has just begun, and the real culprit would soon be revealed and the Alpha would return to take his revenge.

* * *

"Hatake is still in Mizu no Kuni."

Tobi frowned at White Zetsu's statement. What the hell was Kakashi doing in the middle of a freaking bloodline purge – which may or may not have been ordered by the masked Uchiha? Really, did he want to die so _badly_?

Well, Tobi would _never_ let him be killed – not before he discovered why Kakashi left Konoha, obviously. He didn't have any kind of bond with him, Tobi was helping him only because the Hatake was more useful alive. That was all, they weren't anything more than observer and observed. No attachment at all.

"What's he doing?" the masked man asked at his spy, his tone betraying none of his thoughts.

A pause. **"He's still with the Kumo kunoichi that saved him," **the black side answered, **"and he's keeping a mostly low profile. Hatake is taking a guarding mission right now for a certain noble man." **

So he was still taking nukenin missions while trying not to alert the Hounin. It was the first clever decision he made, Tobi admitted to himself: remaining inside a Shinobi Country to avoid the others' hunter-nin, using the civil war as a cover for inopportune visitors, going on missions to get some money and experience, keeping a medic close by his side and maintaining a low profile.

The Sharingan didn't kill all of Kakashi's brain cells, it seemed.

"However," the white side started, "there's someone following him – a Suna shinobi, puppeteer. Probably related to Akasuna no Sasori."

Tobi's eyebrows rose. The recently-added Akatsuki member had a relative in Mizu?

"Who is he and what information do have we about him?"

This time it was Black Zetsu who answered, **"Nosumi Kiiroisuna, twenty years old, low-level jonin, he defected two years ago. His main puppet is a black lizard with poisoned blades and a chakra shield on its back. His specializations are puppetry and espionage, and his ninjutsu knowledge is lacking."**

For all this information was useful when fighting him, Tobi meant something else. "What are his intentions about the Hatake?" he rephrased, gritting his teeth.

Zetsu paused, knowing their answer wouldn't be welcomed. "Unknown."

"_Unknown?_" Tobi repeated, hissing the word like it was some blasphemy. What was 'unknown' supposed to mean?! That wasn't even a _remotely acceptable_ answer!

The Uchiha turned around to maim his companion – Zetsu's limbs would regenerate, after all – only to find the plant man already gone to get the information. Tobi smirked grimly. Good, he was learning who the leader was.

* * *

Clone Zetsu was suddenly called by the original one.

**'****Any information about that puppeteer's intentions?' **

"Not yet – you know getting info takes time," answered the Clone, "and I have to lure the Hounin away if they come too close. I can't do everything at the same time."

It could feel the original Zetsu's frustrated sigh. **'Just get the intel. Another clone is on its way there – your task is to get information, the other's is to lure the Hounin somewhere else.' **With that, the mental link was cut off.

If Clone Zetsu was anyone else, it would have muttered something about bossy I-want-to-know-it-all superiors, but since it wasn't it just complied. The Clone glanced briefly at the other and followed more closely the Suna puppeteer.

* * *

**Hello there! :D**

**Did you get it? Akasuna is 'red sand', Kiiroisuna is 'yellow sand', Nosumi has reddish hair and is a puppeteer… do you know what it means?! I got inspiration from Sasori to create Nosumi! :D But the latter is much more open and 'friendly' than Mr. I-will-turn-you-into-a-puppet. **

**…****yeah, it isn't fun. I just needed someone from Suna and BAM! Inspiration hit me like a train. But… who knows about his intentions?! :O **

**And... yeah Kakashi, that's utterly impossible. Yup. After all, who could control and replace the Mizukage for so much time? It's ridiculous… right? ;)**

**Uhhh… this Chapter is more of transition between the return to Mizu and a newly added member to Kakashi and Kumiko's group – nope, not Nosumi! You'll have to gueeeeess! ;P**

**Beware of the Kitsune's rage!**

**Shiiroi Kitsune **


	7. Chapter 7

**Soooo. Who missed me? *lone bush rolling* …Alrighty.**

**Thanks to Jleath1234, love toshiro dragon, Guest 1, 2, my 1# Guest fan, Elise, Sparksofrandomness, Takashiro Yuki, AngelicRiver and catlord1 for their reviews to the last Chapter! And let's not forget the souls who still follow and favorite this story from the shadows! ;)**

**Jleath1234: I'm bad at romance, and I need a reason to drag Anko into the spotlight. Who knows! Also, until Kakashi steps on Akatsuki's toes Sasori won't try to turn him into a puppet... hm ;D**

**Sparksofrandomness: Kisame is two years older than Kakashi, putting him at 18 (for this timeline)… but he's in the Cypher Division (straight from Narutopedia) and it's unlikely that Kakashi will need their codes. So unless he feels like overthrowing Yagura – and *cough*Obito*cough* – he won't cross paths with him. They'll stick to their own worlds :(**

**Takashiro Yuki: until we get into canon territory, I fear you'll have to bear with a few OCs. ****Sorry… ****And for now, Obito is too busy recruiting and left Zetsu with Kakashi. We'll see what happens then ;) Also, other than memories I'm afraid Team Wolf will have their Alpha away for a lot of time. I'm still alive and kicking, and this story demanded my attention, so… ta dah! :D (Btw, I'll killed off your clan in the last Chapter XD)**

**Warning! This time my fingers slipped on blood, gore, other nasty details, cliff-hangers and everyone being in general misery. You've been warned! **

**And now, without further ado, there you have the new Chapter! ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Terumi Clan **

A week had passed since Kakashi and Kumiko met the Suna puppeteer, still careful not to be spotted by the wrong people. It didn't feel much different from a long-term mission – the sixteen-year-old had been on a couple of them, after all – but, every time he thought about Konoha, his friends, _Minato_…

Kakashi couldn't help but feel betrayal and longing, both strong and demanding attention. A part of him wanted to get as far away as possible, while the other one – some deeply hidden part of his soul, the one that didn't die as he killed his friends – screamed at him to run home and ask for an explanation.

Because there was one, wasn't there?

The nukenin really hoped there was something else behind those murders – he knew as a matter of fact he wasn't the murderer, but then who was? And why frame _him_, of all people?

The real culprit was certainly someone inside Konoha, but how could Kakashi track him down if he was a _damn nukenin_? He had briefly considered just barging in, explaining and helping the Yondaime; but then that _bastard_ would have either escaped or plotted something else. If the ex-ANBU captain managed to enter undetected, that was.

He needed eyes and ears inside the village, someone to do the hunt for him – and who's better at this than his own teammates?

Kakashi knew Team Wolf wouldn't betray him. The Yondaime might be blocked by the Elders or his daily Hokage-business – _or maybe he really thought Kakashi killed them, and he sent every ANBU out for his head and Obito's eye, maybe he ignored his message- _

"Earth to Kakashi! Are you there?!"

He snapped out of his thoughts when Kumiko waved a hand in front of his face. A bold move, even for a special agent of Kumo. Not that she seemed to care much, anyway.

"Yeah," he answered, "what is it?"

The brown-haired kunoichi sighed irritated at his deadpan tone. "So you _really_ haven't been listening at all, have you?" She tightened her headband's knot and continued cleaning her weapons in the lake they found earlier.

"While you were checking around the town for Hounin, a _brave soul_ decided to ask for my help, and you know for what?" She waved a kunai at her supposed partner, who shook his head. "Exterminating the Terumi Clan. He offered a lot of money, so I accepted."

Kakashi would have spluttered indignantly, had he been anyone else. "You _accepted_ a mission like _this_?"

The kunoichi nodded. "Yup. It's got to be difficult, but I know we can do this."

He shook his head. "No, what I mean is… what the hell have you been _thinking_?!" he almost shouted, "Shinobi accept all types of missions, alright – but we all have some kind of _common sense_, and there isn't anyone forcing us to do something! The Clans are _innocent_ and the citizens' hatred is unfounded! Why the hell-"

"Calm down, porcupine head! You didn't let me finish!"

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched at the nickname Kumiko came up with, but he fell silent all the same.

She huffed. "Jeez, look at who's talking. A nukenin, scolding me for poor common sense?" the Kumo kunoichi sighed again before continuing, "I accepted, but who said we were _actually_ going murder the whole Clan? You see, my lil' Kakashi," his eyebrow twitched again, "the nukenin's way to get more money is _to deceive_. We both don't want to do such a chore, but if we _look_ like we have done it, we'll get our pay."

Kakashi narrowed his right eye in suspicion. "It's not like we can make a whole Clan disappear."

She smirked widely. "Oh, are you _sure_ about that?"

* * *

"This is not a test, evacuate the Compound _immediately_!"

Kakashi looked at his 'teammate'. "This is not what I meant when I said 'disappear', and you know that."

"Hush, we're giving them a head-start over the Hounin. That should be enough for shinobi with Kekkei Genkai, isn't it?" The kunoichi glanced sideways to flash a haughty smirk at the nukenin before returning serious. "We have to set fire to the entire Compound, so we better save our breath. Ten minutes from now."

Kakashi nodded and surveyed the little village from the highest rooftop, the one on the Clan Head's home. It was a wonder Kumiko's plan worked, and that was only because Gyumori-sama was curious about the Copy-nin's presence. If the kunoichi had been alone, their whole plan to save the Terumi Clan would have failed miserably.

The nukenin duo had just walked in front of the Compound to get questioned by wary-looking guards – from then, they pretty much talked only to Kakashi. Kumiko had sulked inwardly, but she knew she had to keep her mouth shut for the time being.

So the Hatake asked for a meeting with the Clan Head, and after a little while the man 'accompanied' them to a building, probably meant to meet outsiders and what not. He wore a long blue yukata with azure and golden decorations, while his unruly auburn hair was cut short. His light-blue eyes painfully reminded Kakashi of another blue-eyed person he didn't want to think about.

The man had skipped the pleasantries and immediately asked them what they were doing in front of the Terumi Compound. That was when Kumiko and Kakashi explained their supposed mission and their plan to save the Clan – eventually, Gyumori consulted his two younger brothers and they decided to follow the nukenin's plan.

It was the maximum they could do for the Terumi clan.

Kakashi watched as men, women and children left their homes with hastily-packed goods – heirlooms, money, toys, food, shinobi equipment – the ninjas led everyone to the exit while bringing a backpack each, most likely filled with their families' belongings.

He was reminded of the aftermath of the Kyuubi Attack.

The images of a burning, crumbling Konoha overlapped the emptying Compound – when did Kumiko set the fire to the buildings? – before Kakashi closed his left eye.

The nukenin shook his head. He _really_ needed to stop having hallucinations.

When Kumiko waved her torch from the ground, Kakashi set fire to the buildings near his position.

* * *

The Kumo kunoichi and the Clan Head led the other people – almost two hundred, counting a hundred shinobi-trained clansmen and women and children – to the first supposed safe place, while Kakashi and the Terumi ninja guarded the rear and the sides.

It wasn't stealthy, but it'll have to do.

Kakashi had even summoned Bull, Bisuke, Uhei and Akino to patrol the area both in front of the group and by their sides. Kumiko was good at sensing hostile chakra and could hold her own; the Terumi Clan had mostly Fire and Water affinities, making Boil Release their main Kekkei Genkai. A couple others had Fire and Earth affinities and had Lava Release instead.

They were a powerful bunch, that was for sure.

Kakashi wondered why a 'brave soul' asked him and Kumiko to exterminate them. They couldn't possibly expect two nukenin to tackle this many Kekkei Genkai users!

Maybe they were just distractions. He scowled – _of course_ the Hounin or some Kiri-nin would promise lots of money to some expendable nukenin. Missing-nin only cared for money, and showing their strength to the shinobi world. What better way to do that but to attack a damn Clan? They could hit two pidgeons with one stone.

He rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Boss," Bisuke jumped to his side and kept up with his tree-hopping.

"Did you find anything?"

The ninken shook his head. "Nothing yet. But… where are we leading them?"

"We agreed to take them to five different towns around here," answered Kakashi, opening his Sharingan now and then to check their surroundings. "The furthest is two days walk from the Compound. We should reach the nearest by dawn. We'll spread the Clan around the area so that they'll be safer."

Bisuke nodded and left with a, "Okie dokie."

Akino took his place. "I've heard some people want to leave Mizu altogether," he commented.

"How many?"

"About… thirty-something. But I think others want to leave, too." The ninken shot a sideways glance at his summoner. "What are we going to do 'bout them, Boss?"

"This mission isn't complete until the Terumi Clan disappears from Kiri's radar," Kakashi firmly stated. The burning Yuki Clan Compound was enough to ignite a fire in his soul, which screamed at him to _keep the innocents safe_. His own sense of duty and honor fueled that conviction.

Akino's sunglasses bobbed as he nodded. "It'll be a long journey, Boss. Almost ten days away from Kaminari."

"I know."

His ninken shot him another look. "Whatever you do, you know we're here, Boss." With that parting remark, he too left for his perimeter sweep.

Bull howled in the distance.

Crap. That was bad, _very bad_. "Those who can't fight, run!" Kakashi shouted at the crowd under his branch. "Those who can fight Hounin, let's show them why we should be feared!"

Several clan members sported feral grins on their usually calm faces. Very few of them didn't know of his own fearsome reputation, but his brief order reminded them that _Kiri wanted them dead_ and they needed to be feared enough to deter them from trying again.

Fifty 'shinobi' stuck with the hundred civilians, while the other fifty joined Kakashi and Kumiko into the line they formed in front of them.

Kakashi stretched his senses from where Bull's howl came – two ANBU-level chakra signatures, three, five, ten, fifteen, thirty-three, _forty_-

* * *

The battle was a nightmare.

It reminded Kakashi of the battlefields, back during the Third Shinobi War. A hundred shinobi clashing against each other, kunai, shuriken and senbon whizzing past his ears as he dodged, screams of pain and triumph melting into the deafening rush of water and fire and wind, the crackle of lightning and the rumble of earth.

Orders, names and jutsu – shouts and screams and cries, enraged or gloating or desperate. The sizzle of Exploding Tags before they blew up, taking lives and limbs with them in a deadly shower of fire and sparks and smoke. His own Chidori, screaming with its signature high-pitched chirp.

Kakashi ducked under the katana of a Kiri Hounin and stabbed his chest with his lightning-charged fist. The man crumpled with a strangled shout and his weapon fell on the blood-stained earth with a sharp _clank_. He moved onto the next target – a Hounin who had found a family and had slain the Terumi shinobi who was standing guard.

The girl – ten-year-old? – screamed, clutching her mother's dress in her little fists and staring with terrified eyes at the masked shinobi looming over them.

Kakashi was reminded of another girl, in another time, looking just as terrified before her brown eyes dimmed with grim determination.

He leapt there in an instant and plunged his Chidori in the Hounin's chest.

He distantly noted that Kumiko had stolen a katana from a Kiri-nin and was fending off the masked shinobi with enraged shouts and bloody slashes. She was bleeding from a few wounds on her arms, her arm-guards were scratched and her hair was slightly scorched.

Kakashi leapt over the lava coating the battlefield and hid in the ground when a cloud of acidic mist formed over him.

He stretched his senses – not that his flare of chakra would be noticed anyway – and quickly made his way under a duo of Kiri-nin, whispering to himself, "Doton: Head Hunter no jutsu."

The earth swallowed them whole and Kakashi stabbed their throats before leaping into the chaotic battlefield once more.

He quickly noted with his Sharingan that, while the Terumi's Kekkei Genkai gave them an edge over the Hounin, only a handful were jonin-level, and only six were ANBU-level. The rest were mostly chuunin-level, and the Hounin cut through them quickly once they figured out how to avoid the acidic mist of their Futton and the streams of magma of the Yoton.

Kumiko, Gyumori and his two brothers were doing all they could to defend the innocents, but their numbers were dwindling and the forty-two shinobi left on their side weren't enough to stop the barrage of Hounin.

The Mizukage knew the Terumi clan was a dangerous bunch, and had not pulled back punches to save troops. No – he wanted every single one of them exterminated.

Shit. Kakashi could count at least other fifty Hounin, probably reinforcements that had arrived during the fight.

There were still fifty-six civilians running for their lives. Kakashi gathered his chakra for another Chidori – he was low on chakra, he needed to finish this fast and _not get stuck in another memory damn it_. He sprinted and plunged his hand through more chests than he wanted to remember, but it wasn't enough.

"Fuuton: Great Breakthrough no jutsu!"

The shout reached him, echoed by at least ten other voices.

Then the wind hurled him and at least twenty others to the branches – someone got impaled on sturdy, pointy branches, and kunai and swords – and over the trees, down a cliff that overlooked the sea.

The women screamed, the children screamed and cried and clinged to their parents, the shinobi turned around to face the Hounin with renewed battle cries or leapt on the water and bounced back with a burst of chakra. The stench of blood still lingered heavy in the air, a constant reminder that Kakashi _couldn't save everyone, no matter how much he tried._

When the battle took the remnants of the Terumi Clan on the water – he dearly hoped the civilians managed to run away to the nearest town, or something – everything became even more chaotic.

Suiton jutsu roared to life, splashing and crashing and drowning.

Steam rose from Katon jutsu and Lava Release, innocuous mist mingling with the acidic chakra-infused clouds. People yelled and screamed as their skin and organs melted away.

The Terumi shinobi grabbed the rest of their clan and, under the cover of the mist, tried to escape and bring them to safety.

Kakashi, Kumiko and two other shinobi were left facing forty Hounin. Gyumori had already left with his clan.

The Kumo kunoichi smirked at him. Blood trickled from her mouth. "This is where honor and good-will takes us, porcupine hair," she panted. "Nukenin don't get support from any village. Nukenin fend for themselves… or die."

Kakashi forced his legs to keep him upright. "Do you regret it?"

She chuckled faintly. "Not even a little."

"Suiton: Water Dragon no jutsu!" one of the Hounin shouted.

Kakashi and Kumiko dived to their left, while the other two Terumi shinobi jumped to their right. Everyone flashed through different sets of hand seals, their chakra rising and shrinking and molding itself into different elements.

"Yoton: Lava Barrage no jutsu!"

"Futton: Acidic Mist no jutsu!"

"Fuuton: Divine Wind no jutsu!"

"Raiton: Lightning Hound no jutsu!"

The acidic mist slithered under the lava barrage, pushed more quickly by Kumiko's Fuuton jutsu. The lava fell in front of the four shinobi and shielded them from the mist as Kakashi's lightning hound roared and flashed to the nearest enemy before diving into the sea.

Three Hounin screamed as electricity fried their nervous system through the water.

But it wasn't enough, and their chakra ran low.

"You're outnumbered, Kakashi of the Sharingan," a shark-masked Kiri-nin stated. He didn't bother acknowledging the other three. "Surrender now, and we'll make sure your death will be the least painful."

Kakashi didn't deign it worth answering and grit his teeth. If only he could create a plan…!

Shark shrugged. "Fine. Have it your way." He turned to his teammates. "Get them."

The thirty-seven Hounin charged at the four shinobi all at once.

Kakashi and Kumiko opted to fight back to back, to go down fighting tooth and nail and take as many Kiri-nin as they could with them, instead of getting captured alive and tortured to death. The other two Terumi shinobi did the same, combining their Kekkei Genkai.

But it wasn't enough.

The sea was painted red in the moonlight and Kakashi _should focus on the fighting and not on his memories damn it_.

But both he and Kumiko were breathing hard, almost out of chakra, injured and bleeding. The Hounin taunted them, laughing and scorning and smelling of death and triumph and glee. Their stench was revolting.

They had finished playing around with them, he knew, when two Hounin flashed between Kakashi and Kumiko with their swords raised. The Konohan nukenin didn't feel the burning slice of a katana to his throat, or the pain of the blade sliding into his organs, twisting.

A hit to the back of his neck.

Kakashi fell unconscious and his last thought was _'I hope the rest of the Clan is alright.'_

* * *

_Two days later_

Jiraya didn't relent in his search.

He was eavesdropping at the party of a noble lord in Mizu and, among all the idle prattle and the talk of the rising hostility towards Kekkei Genkai users, the Toad Sage heard something very interesting.

"I've heard you've travelled a very dangerous road to return here, Nomura-sama."

"You know, Tokuma-san, that I loathe being on the road for more time than required. But there was nothing to worry about – I've had my men hire two capable shinobi for extra protection."

"From Kiri, Nomura-sama?" Jiraya could picture the younger man's cold sweat. "My Lord, if you may forgive my forwardness, Kirigakure is in turmoil! Their ninja are brutal and snap and become nukenin! Surely I must have misheard you, Nomura-sama!"

The other man probably waved a hand dismissively. "Tsk tsk, Tokuma-san. I've chosen a man whose fame throughout the Shinobi Nations strikes fear into his enemies' hearts! I've also paid him and his companion a hefty sum for their services, and they have readily agreed."

"Who was it, Nomura-sama?"

"Why, Hatake Kakashi of Konohagakure."

Jiraya almost fell from his perch. Tokuma spluttered. "My Lord! He's a _nukenin!_"

"A very respectable nukenin, if I say so myself."

"A _nukenin_, Nomura-sama!" Tokuma was going in hysterics, and Jiraya's brain was running in circles. Had he arrived at this little castle some days ago, he'd have found Kakashi! Damn it!

"Hatake-san is clearly different from the common rabble," the noble lord commented, "much more mature than his age might suggest. He takes very seriously his missions, even now that he has regrettably left Konohagakure."

Tokuma didn't look comforted. "A _nukenin!_" he cried out again.

"Now now, as you can see, I'm still fine. Let us enjoy this banquet."

That was the end of that and Jiraya henged into a rich, inconspicuous man to question some of the guards. Nomura wouldn't say more than that, and he didn't seem the type to remember where Kakashi might have gone off to anyway.

At the third guard, he finally got an answer.

"Well, sir, I was there with Nomura-sama when those two nukenin showed up nine days ago." The shorter man hummed as he thought. "There was a woman with him. She was kind of brash, but they seemed to get along for the most part. They left once Nomura-sama paid and thanked them. I remember I had the sun behind me when they jumped away. It was… evening, I think. I don't know the direction, though."

East, or north-east. A lead. Fucking _finally_.

Jiraya ran to the nearest island north-east after sending yet another message to Minato.

He reached the nearest town quietly and blended into the crowd with another henge. Since he was there, the Toad Sage went inside an emporium to restock his supplies. He passed in front of a bar.

"Did you hear that? The Hounin were all over the place two days ago."

Jiraya leaned on the wall near the two men, pretending he was waiting for someone else.

"And that fire? I tell you, that Clan deserved what it got," Moron grumbled. "Always playing with fire, about time it turned on them, those monsters."

Lanky Guy frowned and fiddled with his cup of sake. "I've heard they tried to escape through the north road, but the Hounin got 'em before they could run."

Moron snorted. "That's what they deserved. My fishing nets got burnt because of their brats, and now it's them who pay for all the trouble they've caused."

"Yeah… their parents needed to pay more attention," Lanky Guy hesitantly agreed.

Jiraya left immediately for the north road, having sealed his new supplies in his scrolls.

What he came across was horrifying.

He gagged and slapped his hand over his mouth. He drained his nose of chakra in an attempt to avoid the awful stench of rotting corpses and drying blood, but it just wasn't possible and he had to bear it. He hadn't been named Sannin for nothing!

Even though most of the bodies had been disposed of, there were still the large bloodstains on the trees – some were shaped like child hands, others like someone had been stabbed and gutted on the spot, or like someone had been beheaded after they had bled out.

It was revolting, but Jiraya pushed through his nausea and stretched his senses.

There were the marks of Kakashi's Chidori on the trees.

There were the bloodied paws of Kakashi's pack.

There was Kakashi's blood.

There was Kakashi's chakra.

Jiraya followed the bloody trail to his left, where it ended down a cliff. Water sloshed and waves crashed onto the rocky surface, back and forth, back and forth as if nothing wrong had happened. Kakashi had been there and _something_ happened, but the world moved on to cover his tracks again.

Jiraya hated the sea with a passion.

He jumped down the rocks and inspected the blood still there. Dry. But not Kakashi's. His chakra was still there, though. A fight. A fight he may have lost. His chakra was drowned by a sea of many others – he was low on energy, had fought with his 'companion' (Jiraya had yet to rule out the possibility Kakashi had been brainwashed) and lost against the Hounin.

The Toad Sage ran a hand over his face. Why did that brat always get himself in deeper trouble. Why. It wasn't healthy for him, Jiraya nor Minato.

He looked warily into the water. What if he went _deeper_…

Jiraya shuddered, but he knew he had to steel himself. It was always a possibility that… that Kakashi…

He sealed his clothes in his scroll, hid it between two rocks with a nasty Barrier Seal should anyone go within ten meters of it, and dived into the sea.

He had expected corpses, sort of. To get rid of bodies a shinobi could either burn them or bury them and let Mother Nature do the work in their place. Throwing them in the sea with a weight did the trick as well.

He hadn't expected _so many corpses_, though. Dozens of them.

Mangled, gutted, beheaded, limbs cut and eyes wide, the blood already carried away into the sea. Horrifying. Terrible. Brutal. Nauseating.

Jiraya gritted his teeth and started searching for his grand-student, hoping dearly he wasn't among them.

He dried himself with a mild Katon jutsu an hour later, writing with dread pooling in his stomach that Kakashi was most likely still alive, yes, but in the Kiri Hounin's hands.

The Toad Sage followed the trail leading out of the cliff.

* * *

The Yondaime had given Team Wolf free reign of their Taicho's files.

He made them vow to never use the knowledge held within that stack of papers for anything but their Mission. They did so and the Hokage had left them in a secure room in the Hokage building – and if _Minato Namikaze_ said a room was secure, every _molecule_ of its walls was dangerous.

Team Wolf divided their search.

Yugao would search through Kakashi's files up to the Kannabi Bridge Mission.

Genma would do the same with Kakashi's files from there to his admittance as ANBU recruit.

Raido would search through Kakashi's files throughout his ANBU years, from recruit to captain to nukenin.

It was a lot of data to read, understand and sort out, trying to find the most likely culprit. Even more so since Hokage-sama had given them the uncensored papers that only the Hokage, Kakashi's sensei (who were the same person), whoever Kakashi wanted to read them (aka nobody) and Kakashi himself could see.

They read scrolls, mission reports, medical reports, psych evaluations, notes from Sakumo-sama, Sandaime-sama, Yondaime-sama, Jiraya-sama, Tsunade-sama, Ibiki-san and even a Yamanaka.

Yugao pursed her lips. "Our Taicho changed a lot his priorities," she commented. "From teammates to rules. All because of his father's last mission. That alone caused him to become the pariah of the village. Not that they dared to attack him, of course," she seethed, "but all this scorn… he's fought tooth and nail to leave his father's shadow, but nobody forgets easily."

Genma massaged his left temple, holding a scroll in his right hand. "And life keeps throwing shit at him."

"That means we'll have to look into anyone who had talked to Sakumo," Raido stated, "Genin teammates, closest comrades, friends and enemies. We'll have to ask Jiraya-sama and Tsunade-sama too, if we find them."

"Kakashi's got lots of enemies in the Uchiha Clan." Genma shoved a few scrolls and papers in Raido's direction, grimacing. "Uchiha Tashiro, cousin of one Uchiha Obito, accused Taicho of having killed him for the Sharingan. Uchiha Shosuke, genius whose spotlight got taken by our Taicho. Uchiha Atsui, close friend of Uchiha Obito, blamed Kakashi-taicho for letting him die. Uchiha Satoshi, her twin, went hand in hand with Tashiro's idea. Uchiha Koichi, friends with Uchiha Obito's grandma, wanted to avenge her death – caused by a stroke when she heard her nephew was dead – by blinding Kakashi. Uchiha Tohaku, friend of Uchiha Koichi, joined him in his quest. Need I go on?"

Raido's frown deepened as he looked at the long list of Uchiha. "Write down the names. We'll see who's still alive when we have finished here."

Genma nodded and took another scroll from his pockets, writing the title _'Worthless Scumbags'._

Yugao hummed and started taking notes. Her teammates could see that her list was pretty long as well, but included mostly civilians or retired shinobi. They didn't rule out anyone until they knew they were dead, though – their Taicho's life was still on the line.

"There are also some iryo-nin close to Nohara Rin who blame him for killing her," the senbon-user added, still scribbling down his scroll. "Some could've gotten some mind-controlling poison, or planted false evidence during the autopsy or something."

Raido grunted and kept looking at their Taicho's files.

There were ten recruits who barely tolerated Kakashi's presence. He mentally crossed out four of them, knowing they had died at least two months ago. There were three captains – Tiger, Jackal and Snake – who thought Kakashi had their same rank out of favoritism. He made a mental note to ask Hokage-sama for their files.

Raido read Kakashi's past psych evaluations and wasn't sure whether to laugh or grimace. He had annoyed Ibiki Morino to the point that the examiner had written a long string of crude words and insults as 'notes worthy of mention'. The Yamanaka's mental evaluation was milder, but highly annoyed nonetheless. Reluctantly, Raido wrote their names down. It wasn't like him to suspect of their own, but Kakashi-taicho had been betrayed by someone inside Konoha. He couldn't rule out anyone.

"Has Danzo always been such an asshole?" Yugao growled.

Both Raido and Genma answered, "Yes," automatically.

The kunoichi gripped the scroll in her hands tighter. "Well, looks like he didn't appreciate our Taicho under Yondaime-sama's wing. Kept pressing both of them to let Kakashi train under him. After the fifth attempt, he ceased."

"In here, it looks like Danzo wanted him dead." Genma glared at the papers in his hands and showed it to his teammates. "After Kannabi, Danzo had leagued with the Uchiha to see our Taicho dead. Blinded. But mostly, he wanted the Sharingan eye back into Uchiha hands. Don't know what they'd do with an extra eye, though."

Raido's frown couldn't deepen anymore or his skin would fall off his face.

"He also wanted to get him executed after Rin's death," Yugao hissed as she read the paper Genma had given her. "'A traitor, as per the Shinobi Code 1: those who kill fellow Konoha shinobi will be executed accordingly to how bad the victim's injuries are – there is no place in our ranks for a traitor who makes his fellow shinobi suffer so brutally.' I swear, this man gets worse each time he opens his mouth! Kakashi-taicho didn't want to kill Rin!"

The kenjutsu-user divided the ANBU mission reports into two neat stacks. "I've divided the missions Kakashi-taicho had received from Yondaime-sama and Danzo-_sama_." He gestured at each pile as he named the sender.

"Do you know what I've noticed?" he growled, and both his teammates shook their heads. "Yondaime-sama's missions are the less dangerous and Taicho is often with us or his previous team. In only five cases he'd gone solo, and he'd returned to Konoha only with mild injuries apart from two missions turned S-rank. Danzo's are the complete _opposite_," he snarled, shoving two scrolls into his teammates' directions. "He's often going solo doing stuff that should be done with a team, he often returns with lethal injuries that he's incredibly lucky he survived. When he _was_ with a team, they left him behind more often than not."

"And the justifications?" Yugao hissed. "It looks like Danzo wants our Taicho dead."

Raido took another scroll and unsealed it. "A year ago, operative Otter said and I quote: 'the situation demanded that I leave operative Wolf to cover my and operative Jay's retreat.' Seven months ago operative Tortoise said: 'captain Wolf had chosen to pursue target Meada Munenori and ordered me to tie up the loose ends. I returned to Konoha shortly after, fully trusting captain Wolf to complete the mission.'"

"That was the time Kakashi-taicho barely made it to Konoha with his guts almost out, wasn't it." It wasn't a question and Team Wolf narrowed their eyes, teeth clenched and bared like fangs.

"It was, Genma," Raido spat and showed his own 'Worthless Scumbags' list. "We'll need to ask the Hokage for these _cowards_' files. Our work is far from done and until we can find physical proof our Taicho is in danger."

Team Wolf shared a feral grin and a grim nod before they continued their search into their Taicho's files.

* * *

**I am evil. **

**I had also thought I was being too kind to Kakashi. So there you have it! Trouble! :)**

**I've also included an Easter Egg that faintly links this story to my main time-travel story, "Kyuubi Wants to Live – Kakashi time-travel". Very bad title, I know. I kinda want to change it, but eh. Can't find something that fits. Write it if you can find it ;)**

**Also, here I tease you with a bit of the next Chapter:**

Kakashi woke up to scent of his own blood.

But he didn't open his eyes yet. When confronted with an unknown and possibly hostile environment upon awakening, a good shinobi didn't show he was awake. People talk when they think their prisoners are asleep.

Prisoner. He almost curled his lips. Of course.

**Buahahaha I'm so evil! Suspense! Cliff-hanger! Blood and gore! :D**

**(Let me hear your anguished screams… scream for Kakashi!)**

**Beware of the Kitsune's rage!**

**Shiiroi Kitsune21**


End file.
